‘I would think not': Trump not to rehire fired meteorologists after Texas flood forecast failures
Speaking to reporters before departing his Bedminster golf club, Trump called the floods a 'horrible thing' and insisted no one could have predicted the devastation.
'This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it,' Trump said. 'Very talented people there, and they didn't see it.'
The President added that he planned to visit Kerr County, where floodwaters rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes, later in the week.
'I would have done it today, but we'd just be in their way,' he said. 'It's a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.'
Some meteorologists and former federal officials questioned whether years of staffing reductions under Trump contributed to inadequate warnings ahead of the storm.
Rick Spinrad, former director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said that widespread job cuts had left weather offices understaffed, although he could not confirm whether that directly impacted forecasts for the Texas floods.
'They would inevitably degrade the agency's ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts,' Spinrad warned.
When pressed on whether the staffing reductions had weakened the disaster response, Trump deflected, referencing his Democratic predecessor.
'That water situation, that all is, and that was really the Biden setup,' he said. 'But I wouldn't blame Biden for it, either. I would just say this is a 100-year catastrophe.'
The Trump administration has dramatically reduced staffing at the agencies responsible for forecasting and climate research. The President has previously floated plans to overhaul or even eliminate FEMA, saying states should take on more responsibility during disasters.
Asked on Sunday whether he still intended to dismantle the agency, Trump indicated that discussion would come later.
'That's something we can talk about later, but right now we are busy working,' he said.
Trump also confirmed he did not plan to rehire any of the federal meteorologists laid off earlier this year as part of sweeping government spending cuts.
'I would think not,' he said. 'This was a thing that happened in seconds. Nobody expected it. Nobody saw it.'
Despite the controversy, Trump signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County on Sunday, which activated FEMA to help Texas respond to the crisis.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees FEMA and NOAA, acknowledged the National Weather Service's initial alerts did not fully anticipate the severity of the flooding.
'A moderate flood watch issued on Thursday had not accurately predicted the extreme rainfall,' Noem said, adding that the administration was working to upgrade forecasting systems.
Trump closed his remarks with condolences to those affected.
'God bless all of the people that have gone through so much, and God bless, God bless the state of Texas,' he said.
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