Melania Trump's Texas floods post sparks outrage as she offers just two things to victims; ‘You and your husband…'
On Friday, devastating, swift-moving floods on the Guadalupe River swelled 26 feet (8 meters), killing at least 51 people and leaving 27 girls who were living at a summer camp in Kerr County missing.
In a statement on Saturday, Melania addressed the natural tragedy on X, writing: 'My heart goes out to the parents in Texas during this difficult time. I am holding you in my thoughts and sending prayers for strength, comfort, and resilience.'
Trump critics quickly blasted Melania over her post, claiming that thought and prayers are not enough in wake of her husband's massive budget cuts, which have affected federal forecasters and disaster response agencies.
Before the deafly floods hit Texas, five former National Weather Service directors wrote a letter to US President Donald Trump, warning that further funding cuts would cause fatalities.
'Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life,' they warned.
Additionally, a Florida weatherman informed viewers during his usual broadcast that he would no longer be able to continue forecasting local weather due to budget constraints.
Also Read: Why did Trump and Melania act 'like newlyweds' during July 4th WH appearance? Surprising 'Royal' details revealed
Melania Trump's faces backlash amid Texas floods
Reacting to Melania's post on X, one person asked, 'When is the President of the United States going to say something? I understand it's not all about him this time, but seriously????'
'Why aren't you deported yet?' another questioned.
'Instead of Support, when you send some of that money that you and your husband scammed out of the US citizens,' a third user wrote.
'Are you going to apologize for Trump's gutting of NOAA and the NWS, which clearly put people in Texas at greater risk? How many lives could have been saved by timely warnings - or would that be 'socialism'?' the fourth user chimed in.
'How about telling Donny to give back the money to FEMA and NOAA? Thoughts and prayers don't do a whole lot!' one more stated.
Meanwhile, some ridiculed the first lady for dancing with Trump on White House balcony during Fourth of July celebrations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
33 minutes ago
- Mint
Mukesh Ambani bets big on US gas as Trump's trade war reshapes global energy, all you need to know
Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, is racing to buy American ethane gas as a shield against President Trump's trade war. His company Reliance Industries imports 1.6 million tonnes yearly from US shale fields, shipped in giant tankers to Gujarat factories. This cheap gas replaces costlier oil-based naphtha for making plastics, saving $450 million annually. With Trump threatening 26% 'reciprocal tariffs' on Indian goods by July 9, Ambani's bet positions India as a key buyer of US energy, potentially easing tensions over India's $43 billion trade surplus with America. His fleet of six specialized ethane tankers now anchors this strategy, according to a Bloomberg report. India's state-run GAIL is also trying to replicate Ambani's tactics to stay ahead in the race. It just sought 20-year contracts for US ethane tankers after government policies slashed its natural gas supply, hurting profits. Like Reliance, GAIL will pipe ethane to its chemical plants to replace naphtha. The shift is urgent: Ethane costs half as much as naphtha and produces more plastic per tonne. Even Qatar now charges extra for ethane in gas sold to India, forcing firms like GAIL to seek US alternatives. Analysts call this a 'permanent shift' as shale gas floods global markets. Trump's trade wars make Ambani's move timely. China once bought most US ethane, but Trump's tariffs and 'decoupling' push have stalled deals. India now grabs this surplus, though it can't match China's Apple's plan to make iPhones in India faces Trump's wrath over 'massive tariffs,' showing New Delhi's precarious position. By boosting US energy purchases, India hopes to avoid auto and textile tariffs. Reliance's pipeline network and new ships strengthen its role as a 'pressure valve' in US-India trade talks. The Ambani-Trump connection runs deep. Ivanka attended Ambani's son's $600 million wedding, while Trump hosted the family at his pre-inauguration gala. Now, their interests align commercially: Trump needs foreign buyers for US shale gas, while Ambani seeks cheap raw materials. As Reliance orders three more ethane tankers, experts warn India's oil refineries may become obsolete.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
What Is The ‘America Party'? How Elon Musk Plans To Shake Up U.S. Elections
New York: No banners, no music and no campaign crowd. Just a screen and six words: 'America Party has been born. It begins.' That was it. The post went up early morning, and the sender was Elon Musk. The reaction was electric. A new party, a new name and maybe, a new storm. Musk did not arrive at this moment by accident. For weeks, the signs had been there – sharp words and cold silence. The crack with U.S. President Donald Trump widened until the split looked final. Then came July 4. Trump smiled beside the stars and stripes and signed what he called the 'Big, Beautiful Bill'. A massive package of spending and tax cuts. Musk watched and moved. The fallout with Trump was not quiet. The Tesla CEO had once backed Trump with $250 million. Then he ran his cost-cutting task force – the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. He held the knife that sliced through bloated budgets until that bill. Musk called the bill a disaster and said it would bankrupt the country. He left the administration. He waited. Then on July 1, he warned if the bill passed, a new party would rise. It did. And so did the party. The trigger came on his platform. Musk ran a poll and asked users if they wanted a new political party. Thousands clicked 'yes'. Two to one. Musk took that as a sign. And he kept his word. He offered no names, no headquarters and no big announcements. Just a focus – two or three Senate races and eight to ten House districts. That is where the fight begins. He explained the battle plan. A reference from ancient history. 371 BC. The Battle of Leuctra. The Spartans lost. Musk recalled how Epaminondas, a Greek general, broke the myth of Spartan invincibility. He stacked his forces at one point. Crushed the enemy with focus. Musk says this is his strategy now. He did not promise everything. He promised intensity. So far, the Federal Election Commission has no paperwork. No registration. No official launch documents. But Musk is not slowing down. When asked what the America Party stands for, Musk responded with four ideas – keep the debt low, upgrade the military, push technology and stay center-ground. That is it. Analysts noticed the change. The same man who stood beside Trump now stood apart. CNN called it a rift gone political. The Washington Post said it was Musk's sharpest pivot yet. Newsweek tracked every public jab between Musk and Trump on X and Truth Social. CBS News reached out to Brett Kappel. He studies election laws. He said what many already knew. Ballot access takes years. State by state. Rule by rule. It is a gauntlet. And the system is tough. Winner takes all. No second place prizes. Even 20% of votes will not earn a seat. That is the wall Musk is facing. But he is rich. Really rich. Mac McCorkle, a longtime political adviser, said it plainly, 'Musk has the money to climb over any rulebook.' Natasha Lindstaedt, a professor from the United Kingdom, went deeper. She said Musk might not want to win outright. Just enough to rattle Republicans. Just enough to matter. And people? People are tired, she said. Angry. Ready to break from the old ways. But history is not kind to third parties. George Wallace. Ross Perot. Ralph Nader. They all made noise. They took votes. But they never crossed the line into real power. Only Theodore Roosevelt came close. In 1912, he took 27% of the vote with his Progressive Party. That was over a century ago. Since then? Not much. Creating a new party is more than a tweet. It needs a name. A structure. A plan. Then comes the challenging part – getting on the ballot. That means thousands of signatures. Dozens of filings. State-by-state petitions. TV debates? Another mountain. Candidates need to poll at 15% nationally just to get on stage. Few do. And Musk? He is pushing forward anyway. He says it starts small. Focused. Strategic. And that is why people are watching. Whether they cheer or roll their eyes, they are paying attention. And in politics, attention means leverage. Musk has that now. A new party. A new path. And millions watching.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Brics backs India line on terror & UNSC reforms, slams tariffs
NEW DELHI: The 11-member Brics comprising key emerging economies condemned in "the strongest terms" Pahalgam terrorist attack, seeking concerted action against UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities, and unambiguously backed a comprehensive reform of UN Security Council (UNSC), in two significant takeaways for India from Rio Summit. Among other highlights was India joining Brics in condemning attacks on Iran since June 13 (without naming Israel), expressing grave concern about the situation in "Occupied Palestinian territory" with resumption of "continuous Israeli attacks" against Gaza, obstruction to humanitarian aid and use of starvation as a method of warfare - something which Israel has rejected. According to Rio Declaration, Brics nations expressed serious concerns about rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules. While this was an obvious message to the Trump administration, the declaration stopped short of naming US because some members were not comfortable with it. The declaration also said imposition of unilateral coercive measures are contrary to international law and measures like unilateral economic sanctions have far-reaching negative implications. At India's behest, there was ample focus on terrorism in the declaration that urged zero tolerance for terrorism and rejected double standards in countering terrorism. India uses the same language to counter Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorism and also China's shielding at UN of UN-banned terrorists based in Pakistan. "We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in J&K on April 22, during which at least 26 people were killed and many more injured. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens," said the declaration, while calling for an expeditious finalisation and adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN framework. According to Indian govt officials, Rio summit also adopted "strongest-ever language" for UN reforms by calling for a comprehensive reform of Security Council with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase representation of developing countries. Recalling 2022 Beijing and 2023 Johannesburg declarations, China and Russia, as permanent members of UNSC, reiterated their support to the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in UN, including its Security Council. Interestingly, the Beijing declaration had only said in UN, and not 'including in UNSC'. The Rio Declaration also said a reformed UNSC will amplify voice of the Global South. While condemning the attacks on Iran - and expressing concern over "deliberate" attacks on "peaceful" nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards - the declaration was also littered with references to the Israel-Palestine issue, something which continues to test India's balancing exercise. In case of Iran, there was no mention of Israel like in an earlier statement by Brics last month, which too was endorsed by India, but on this occasion the declaration didn't just express concern but also condemned the military strikes. In case of Gaza, the declaration explicitly mentioned "continuous Israeli attacks" calling for adherence to international law and recalling that Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the 'Occupied Palestinian Territory'.
