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On Friday, President Joe Biden flies to chic Lake Tahoe for another summer vacation, as the White House has yet to announce plans to visit fire-devastated Hawaii.
He did not respond to questions about the issue when he returned to work on Monday after a weekend at the beach, having avoided commenting on the tragedy over the weekend.
The president is expected to arrive in Lake Tahoe on Friday, August 18 and stay there until the following Thursday, according to White House guidelines.
But it’s unclear whether he’ll head farther west to see the billions of dollars in damage and visit displaced residents of Maui, where wildfires have swept through the region at speeds of up to a mile. ‘hour.
President Biden returns to the White House on Monday after a weekend in Rehoboth Beach and did not answer questions about the Hawaii wildfires
President Biden has remained silent on the issue.
He did not answer questions from reporters when he returned to the White House on Monday afternoon after spending the weekend at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware. During this trip, he was criticized by the Republican for not commenting on the wildfires which killed 96 people.
The president was heading to the beach with friends when he was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii.
“No comment,” he replied.
Earlier, while riding his bike with his wife Jill, he was asked if he was visiting the state.
“We are looking at it,” he said.
Biden and his team may believe they have other reasons for avoiding the press rather than addressing the national tragedy. On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced he had appointed David Weiss as special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden. Prosecutors said Friday they expect the president’s son’s case to go to trial.
Biden was vacationing in Rehoboth Beach for a week earlier this month. He is heading to Nevada for his second vacation on Friday after hosting a summit at Camp David with the leaders of Japan and South Korea.
The subject is the annual joint military exercises between the three nations, but the focus will also be on the fight against China and North Korea.
The White House has not said what Biden will do while in Lake Tahoe.
While in Rehoboth, he and the first lady went biking, sat on the beach and even had a date night where they watched the movie “Oppenheimer.”
The Lake Tahoe freshwater region is known for its beach, ski resorts, and state parks. In the summer it is known for hiking, fishing, boating and golf. There are also plenty of places to shop.
Burnt trees and ruins of homes are what remains after a fire ripped through Lahaina, Hawaii
Oprah Winfrey visited Maui Displaced Persons Residences
Meanwhile, Hawaii’s governor has warned the death toll is likely to rise as search teams search street by street through neighborhoods where the blazes have caused widespread destruction.
“We are ready for many tragic stories,” Gov. Josh Green told CBS Mornings. “They’ll probably find 10-20 people a day until they’re done. And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess, really.
As cellphone service was slowly restored, the number of missing people fell to around 1,300 from more than 2,000, Green said.
Biden endorsed a declaration of an emergency for the state, which frees up federal bailout funds, and the dispatch of FEMA officials.
But those on the island have begun to complain that federal aid has yet to arrive.
“The response from our well-funded, tax-paying government is incredibly pathetic,” said Kihei gym owner Paul Romero.
He said The New York Times: ‘We can’t even understand what they did, what they didn’t do, what they still don’t do.’
The fire that swept through Lahaina nearly a week ago destroyed nearly every building in the town of 13,000, leaving a mountain of debris in the coastal town. That fire was 85% contained, according to the county. Another blaze known as the Upcountry Fire was 60% contained, officials told The Associated Press.
Damage was estimated at $5.6 billion.
Wildfire damage estimated at $5.6 billion
Hawaii’s governor has warned the death toll could rise from the devastation of the fires
Many people gathered at the War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, which serves as a shelter. Among the visitors was Oprah Winfrey, who told Hawaii News Now that she delivered personal hygiene productstowels and water for the past few days.
The cause of the wildfires is under investigation, but the dry summer and passing hurricane winds fueled the flames, which swept through Maui.