WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump touched down in Texas Tuesday to survey recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey, even as heavy rain continues to pound flooded cities like Houston.
Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, Chief of Staff John Kelly and other administration officials, landed on Air Force One in Corpus Christi, where they will meet with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and receive a briefing on relief efforts. The president will then travel to Austin to tour the Texas Department of Public Safety Emergency Operations Center and receive an update from state leaders.
Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn will also join the group in Corpus Christi, the White House said.
Tuesday’s trip presents a two fold challenge: showing leadership in a difficult time while also not hampering recovery efforts.
“The president wants to be very cautious about making sure that any activity doesn’t disrupt the recovery efforts that are still ongoing,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on Air Force One as they headed to Texas.
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One of the main reason’s for Trump’s visit is to “lay the foundation for what we know will be a long recovery effort,” Sanders added.
Among the federal agencies tasked with responding to the disaster are Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Small Business Administration, which Sanders described as having a “heavy lift” to ensure efficient recovery efforts. Those agency heads, Secretary Ben Carson at HUD and Administrator Linda McMahon at the SBA joined Trump on the trip, as did Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Price.
On Monday at the White House, Trump praised the “incredible” spirit of the people of Texas, applauding acts of kindness and heroism captured by television cameras on the ground and voicing optimism for recovery funds that will soon be considered by Congress.
“I think that you’re going to see very rapid action from Congress,” Trump said, predicting Texas will “be up and running very, very quickly” in the aftermath of the storm.
“I have already spoken to Congress and everybody feels for you and feels for what you’re going through,” the president said at the White House, where he acknowledged the “great respect” many have for the way Texas has handled the “historic” storm, while recognizing it has a long road ahead, with rain still pouring down.
But Trump’s trip avoids Houston — the major city still facing the brunt of rainfall and flooding — so as not to complicate rescue and relief operations on the ground.
It is possible Trump may return to Texas this weekend and the president also may visit Louisiana, which is being hit with heavy rains.