The president of the United States, Joe Biden, arrived in the devastated town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Monday, speaking beside the burned ruins with the message, “We will do everything we can to help you recover.” The trip came as crews worked to identify victims of a violent attack. Fires have claimed 114 lives, and hundreds remain missing. “I want everyone to know that the country is crying with you, the country is with you,” the president said, pausing his summer break in Nevada to see firsthand how local emergency teams are operating on the ground (EFE).
During the speech, Biden announced the appointment of a government official to oversee the region’s long-term recovery, promising that the process would honor local traditions. “Maui will be rebuilt the way the people want it, not the way we want it to be,” he stated (EFE).
Biden delivered his remarks beside a fire-damaged, century-old tree—one of the main attractions of Lahaina, which once served as the capital of the Hawaiian kingdom before Hawaii joined the United States. He described the tree as a strong symbol of resilience and rebuilding, noting that though it burned, it still stands and serves as a reminder that there is meaning in the struggle (EFE).
the president’s response
Former Republican president Donald Trump criticized Biden’s visit, calling it disgraceful that the leader had not responded sooner. White House officials counter that Biden delayed the trip to avoid diverting emergency personnel and first responders from urgent on-the-ground work (EFE).
In recent days, the president faced bipartisan criticism for his perceived slow response to the fires, which have become among the deadliest in the nation’s recent history. He spoke about the fires publicly for the first time on a Thursday in mid-August, and did not address the issue again until Tuesday, by which time the death toll had risen significantly (EFE).
According to local authorities and Hawaii Governor Josh Green, the federal government moved quickly behind the scenes by authorizing disaster relief funds and deploying the Army to assist with recovery and body identification. The White House had already approved a disaster declaration for Hawaii within hours of Green’s request on August 10 (EFE).
Residents in affected neighborhoods expressed disappointment over what they viewed as a slow federal response. One neighbor recalled that the only immediate aid they received was a $700 FEMA payment, which did little to fix the damage. Others questioned why authorities did not sound the siren warning system during the disaster for fear of causing mass panic, especially if residents mistook the danger for a tsunami (EFE).
Local officials warn that rebuilding will take time. To date, a bit more than 60 percent of the affected area has been assessed, with around 850 people still unaccounted for, suggesting the death toll could rise in the days ahead (EFE).
As of now, more than a thousand federal agents are in Hawaii, with no plans to redeploy them to the American Southwest to address Tropical Storm Hilary’s impacts. Maui residents say the search for missing people and the identification of victims is painfully slow (EFE).
slow progress in identification
Governor Green told CBS that search teams had covered about 85 percent of the search area, but the remaining 15 percent could take weeks. The extreme heat complicates remains recovery, and while the process is slow, federal agencies including the FBI, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Health and Human Services are assisting with identifications (EFE).
Presidential visits to disaster zones can affect public perception, though they are often seen as essential. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, critics pointed to a photo of President George W. Bush looking out a window aboard Air Force One as evidence of disconnected empathy. In 2017, Donald Trump drew criticism for tossing toilet paper at a crowd in Puerto Rico after a hurricane (EFE).