As President Joe Biden arrived in Maui after wildfires there killed scores of people and devastated the island, at least one island resident was not thrilled with the presidential visit.
“Traitor Joe Must Go,” read the sign in front of one Maui home, according to a video posted to social media.
NEW: Maui residents prepare for President Biden’s arrival: pic.twitter.com/tJo14eXkwP
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) August 21, 2023
The island resident who let his sign do his talking was not alone in expressing a lack of enthusiasm for a president who, when asked about the disaster, replied, “no comment,” according to The New York Times.
Volunteer Eddy Garcia scoffed at the event as he handed out fruit to people made homeless by the fires.
“The Biden visit was a public relations tactic,” he said.
“They failed us on every level,” he said, speaking about the government’s response to the fires. “Their red tape, their bureaucracy.”
The Times reported that Biden took a 20-minute helicopter flight over the damaged areas of Maui.
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“He really needs to look at this rubble and see this was no ordinary fire,” said Pearl Patterson.
The death toll from the first stands at 114, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. No official estimate of the number of missing people exists, although Maui Mayor Richard Bissen put the estimate of people unaccounted for at 850, according to Hawaii News Now.
Tulsi Gabbard on the devastation in Maui: “When they’re told that FEMA is going to give them a one time $700 payment and they look at the news and see tens of millions of dollars sent to Ukraine. They feel like the government doesn’t care about them.” pic.twitter.com/0WphNTLMWc
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 16, 2023
On Fox Business, host Stuart Varney said the White House reaction to the Maui tragedy made Biden appear “out of touch.”
“That ‘no comment’ was tone-deaf. The images of the president relaxing on the beach while Maui burned did not help his ‘father of the nation’ image,” he said.
“I think this president is physically exhausted. He’s 80 and frail and needs rest.
“He’s mentally exhausted by the Hunter investigation and the apparent pressures of the job. August has been a painful reminder of the growing problem of Biden’s age,” Varney stated.
“His response to the Maui tragedy is one more reason to question his ability to do the job for another 6 years,” he continued.
