President Joe Biden is facing volcanic backlash for his tone-deaf reaction to the devastating wildfires in Maui that resulted in the deaths of at least 99 people.
Even some Democrats — such as former Hawaii state Rep. Mark Kaniela Ing — were appalled by Biden’s casual response to the horrific tragedy.
On Sunday, when asked about the rising death toll from the wildfires, the president responded by saying, “No comment,” according to multiple news reports, including Bloomberg White House correspondent Justin Sink.
He then blithely resumed his beach vacation in Delaware.
After a couple hours on the Rehoboth beach, @potus was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii
“No comment,” he said before heading home pic.twitter.com/Y0UmXirju9
— Justin Sink (@justinsink) August 13, 2023
Biden had a similar reaction on Monday, this time on video.
Reporters GASP as Joe Biden runs from their questions about rising count of Americans DEAD from Maui wildfire disaster to tan at the beach: “NO COMMENT!” pic.twitter.com/MHOkr2kRUz
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 14, 2023
Ing blasted the president’s apathetic demeanor in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I campaigned for you,” the Democrat said Sunday, according to Fox News. “Now, when I lose dozens of my friends, family, and neighbors. This?”
On Monday, Ing said he was disappointed by Biden’s indifference in the face of a deadly disaster that has killed scores of Americans.
“When tragedies like this occur, it’s shocking to see people just conducting business as usual,” he told Fox News. “On the one hand, you don’t want everyone to be in a perpetual somber mood, but on the other hand, how can you just carry on like that?”
Ing said he understands that even the president is entitled to enjoy some down time, but he underscored that in moments of crisis, a true leader would step up to reassure the public.
“I think everyone deserves some time to take care of themselves, wind down, but as someone in [a] leadership role, you need to be ready any moment to offer some empathy and solace and comfort to people that are facing a lot of trauma right now,” he said.
Ing deleted his X post, saying he wasn’t sure if Biden’s insipid reaction had been taken out of context.
I deleted the tweet about President Biden saying “no comment” when asked about the #MauiFires on vacation .
It appears it was based on an email by a reporter was was lip-reading Biden, who was inaudible and only “appeared to say ‘no comment’”
I generally trust professional…
— Kaniela Ing (@KanielaIng) August 14, 2023
However, Ing told Fox News he was still disheartened.
“Whether or not it was as dismissive as originally reported, it is quite disappointing,” the former state rep said. “I would expect more. He should be talking about what he’s done and what he will do.
“The talking and offering words of solace and comfort, great. I’m not too hung up on that, to be honest. What I’m looking for is action.”
Ing is the national director of the Green New Deal Network, a left-wing advocacy group that promotes climate alarmism. As such, he apparently blames the Maui wildfires on climate charge.
Accordingly, he urged Biden to crush the fossil fuel industry and take other actions.
“Declare a climate emergency,” Ing told Fox News. “Deny fossil fuel permits, and invest substantial federal funds to the tune of $1 trillion a year.”
Other experts have said it’s irresponsible to blame the Maui wildfires on climate change.
Clay Trauernicht, a specialist in wildland fire science and management at the University of Hawaii, pointed to land management on the island.
Still, blaming this on weather and climate is misleading. Hawai’i’s fire problem is due to the vast areas of unmanaged, nonnative grasslands from decades of declining agriculture.
— Clay Trauernicht (@claytrau) August 9, 2023
Hawai’i firefighters have been telling me for several years they’re seeing fires burn hotter and faster than in the past – and I trust their knowledge. But fire and land use histories tell us fallow lands and grassy fuels are the key issue – and one we can deal with locally pic.twitter.com/91CTqMXQSg
— Clay Trauernicht (@claytrau) August 15, 2023
No matter what anyone believes about the cause of the deadly fires, there seems to be nearly universal agreement that Biden’s response was pitiful.
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