The White Area and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz defended the Nationwide Climate Carrier and accused some Democrats of enjoying politics within the wake of devastating floods in Texas.
“I feel this isn’t a time for partisan finger-pointing and assaults,” Cruz mentioned at a information convention with native officers in Kerr County on Monday morning.
White Area press secretary Karoline Leavitt later started her briefing at the offensive, calling out those that’ve wondered whether or not federal cuts to the NWS impacted staffing ranges or forecasting talents because the tragedy spread out.
“Sadly, within the wake of this as soon as in a technology herbal crisis, we now have noticed many falsehoods driven by way of Democrats similar to Senator Chuck Schumer and a few individuals of the media,” Leavitt mentioned. “Blaming President Trump for those floods is a wicked lie, and it serves no objective throughout this time of nationwide mourning.”
White Area Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks throughout the day-to-day briefing within the Brady Briefing Room of the White Area in Washington, July 7, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Schumer, the Senate’s best Democrat, on Monday known as for an investigation into whether or not cuts made to NWS within the management had any correlation to the extent of devastation.
“Following the disastrous and deeply devastating flash flooding in Texas this weekend, I write to induce you to straight away to open an investigation into the scope, breadth, and ramifications of whether or not staffing shortages at key native Nationwide Climate Carrier (NWS) stations contributed to the catastrophic lack of existence and assets throughout the fatal flooding,” Schumer wrote in a letter despatched to Trade Division Appearing Inspector Normal Roderick Anderson.
A minimum of 94 folks, together with greater than two dozen youngsters, are lifeless after heavy rain ended in flash flooding in Texas.
The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Management advised ABC Information that NWS deliberate for additonal staffing on the NWS Austin/San Antonio native place of job forward of the development. The native place of job had 5 NWS staff running in comparison to the 2 that may in most cases be scheduled.
In a remark to ABC Information, the NWS highlighted that they gave briefings to emergency control the day ahead of the tragic tournament and discussed some alert lead occasions.
“The Nationwide Climate Carrier is heartbroken by way of the tragic lack of existence in Kerr County. On July 3, the NWS place of job in Austin/San Antonio, TX carried out forecast briefings for emergency control within the morning and issued a Flood Watch within the early afternoon. Flash Flood Warnings have been issued at the night time of July 3 and within the early morning of July 4, giving initial lead occasions of greater than 3 hours ahead of caution standards have been met. The Nationwide Climate Carrier stays dedicated to our challenge to serve the American public thru our forecasts and choice fortify products and services,” the NWS mentioned.
Leavitt, from the rostrum on Monday, ran during the explicit timeline of signals despatched by way of the NWS and emphasised the additional group of workers in position on the NWS Austin/San Antonio place of job.
She famous the place of job issued a flood watch at 1:18 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. Then, a flash flood caution used to be issued for Bandera and Kerr counties at 1:14 a.m. on Friday, July 4 that used to be upgraded with extra critical warnings at 3:35 a.m..
“So, to any individual who has intentionally lied about those information surrounding this catastrophic tournament, you will have to be deeply ashamed,” she mentioned.
Leavitt used to be requested on Monday why the warnings have been despatched at a time when folks have been most likely asleep and if the management is doing to make certain that those signals pop out faster at some point.
“This used to be an act of God, it isn’t the management’s fault that the flood hit when it did however there have been early and constant warnings,” Leavitt mentioned. “And once more, the Nationwide Climate Carrier did its activity.”
Cruz, on the native information convention in Texas, driven again on NWS claims however mentioned there could be a “length of retrospection” after the fast restoration efforts to investigate what took place and what went improper.
“Within the wake of each tragedy, there are issues which can be predictable,” Cruz mentioned. “One of the crucial issues that is predictable is to look some folks attractive in, I feel, partisan video games, and looking to blame their political fighters for a herbal crisis. And you notice that with a storm, with a twister, with a wildfire, with this flooding, the place folks straight away say, ‘Neatly, the storm is Donald Trump’s fault.’ I feel most conventional American citizens know that is ridiculous, and I feel this isn’t a time for partisan finger pointing and assaults.”
“Now, once we come thru seek and rescue, once we come during the means of rebuilding, there’ll naturally be a length of retrospection the place you glance again and say, ‘Ok, what precisely transpired, what used to be the timeline, and what will have been performed another way to stop this lack of existence?’ And that’s the reason a herbal procedure,” Cruz added. “I feel it will have to now not occur in a sour and partisan sense, nevertheless it will have to occur in an affordable sense of claiming, what courses are we able to be informed?”
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks at a Kerr County, Texas press convention, July 7, 2025.
ABC Information
President Trump continues to be making plans on visiting Texas on Friday, the White Area mentioned, despite the fact that plans don’t seem to be but finalized.
Trump used to be requested about NWS on Sunday if he used to be going to analyze whether or not cuts at NWS left key positions vacant.
“No, no. They did not,” Trump mentioned.
Trump then attempted to pin blame on former President Joe Biden, his Oval Workplace predecessor, ahead of strolling the remark again.
“I’m going to let you know: Should you take a look at that — what a state of affairs that each one is. That used to be truly the Biden setup. That used to be now not our setup. However I would not blame Biden for it both. I’d simply say it is a hundred-year disaster, and it is simply so terrible to observe,” Trump mentioned.
ABC Information’ Mariam Khan and Matthew Glasser contributed to this file.
