Donald Trump and his administration have found themselves in hot waters after Texas floods claimed at least 100 lives, including dozens of children at the all-girls summer camp who were asleep when the floodwaters surged in before sunrise on July 4, giving them barely any chance to escape before they were swept away.
As 6 to 7 inches of rain had fallen overnight, with more rain throughout the day, National Weather Service declared it as a “particularly dangerous situation” with a warning of life-threatening flash floods. While the first responders immediately initiated rescue operations amid heavy rainfall and washed out roads, state officials voiced their frustration with the National Weather Service, highlighting that rainfall predictions were too low ahead of the storm. People are questioning whether the recent budget cuts under the Trump administration is the reason behind poor forecasting efforts.
Texas flood update:
• 95 dead so far
• 27 girls dead at Camp Mystic
• 10 campers still missing
• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says flood-warning sirens along the river need to be in place by next summer pic.twitter.com/kEWev67JLC— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 7, 2025
Months ago, Elon Musk led DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) introduced major cuts across federal agencies, including layoffs of meteorologists.
The White House, however, has dismissed the allegation that layoffs at the National Weather Service played a role in the tragedy, calling it ‘disgusting’.
As per a report by BBC, five employees of the NWS responsible for forecasting in the affected area were on duty when thunderstorms brewed over Texas a few hours before the flooding. White House Press Secretary strongly rejected all attempts to blame the President for the tragedy. After the July 4 weekend was over, Karoline Leavitt stood in front of the press on Monday, and said, “That was an act of God.”
Defending the President and NWS, she said, “It’s not the administration’s fault that the flood hit when it did, but there were early and consistent warnings and, again, the National Weather Service did its job.”
But the federal cuts aren’t the only reason why Trump’s receiving backlash amid the tragedy. As America woke up to the news of tragedy, and heartbroken families searched for their missing children, Trump took an afternoon off to enjoy his favorite hobby. On July 4, Trump went golfing with Canadian baseball legend Larry Walker at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.
Walker posted a picture of himself and Trump from the golfing session on July 4 as he wished everyone ‘Happy Independence’. By the time Walker made that post on his X account, officials had already confirmed multiple fatalities. As Walker’s post went viral, netizens bashed the President for enjoying golf and ice-cream while American families were struggling and grieving.
Trump was golfing and enjoying ice cream this weekend while search and rescue teams were in Texas looking for child flood victims pic.twitter.com/tGYCSf7Eh2
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) July 7, 2025
A frustrated X user wrote, “20 Children in the United States got washed away by a horrific flash flood in Texas today. And what did Donald Trump do? Of course, he went to play Golf.”
20 Children in the United States got washed away by a horrific flash flood in Texas today.
And what did Donald Trump do?
Of course, he went to play Golf. pic.twitter.com/vFkAcxLwUf
— Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) July 5, 2025
“I heard Trump was so heartbroken about the tragedy in Texas that he had to play a round of golf to cheer himself up,” a sarcastic comment reads. Someone else wrote, “Trump’s callous decision to hit the golf course while 20 children drown in Texas floodwaters exposes his utter disregard for American lives, proving once again he’s unfit to lead.”
I heard Trump was so heartbroken about the tragedy in Texas that he had to play a round of golf to cheer himself up.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) July 6, 2025
However, Trump supporters defended him as one user wrote, “So wait, in your mind, a president should always be there for every single death in a country with hundreds of millions of people? Damn you leftists have lost complete touch with any form or reality or normality.”
Another added, “I hung out at the pool all day and now I’m barbecuing. What was I supposed to do? Just curious?”
Trump didn’t visit flood-stricken Texas over the weekend. Instead, he announced that he would wait for a few days and let rescue teams do their jobs. The President said that he would have gone on Sunday but he would be “in their way”, referring to rescuers. He signed a disaster declaration and announced that he would visit central Texas on Friday. Though Trump showed sympathy and described the flooding as “terrible event,” critics argue that he could have avoided enjoying golf amid a tragedy.
“I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need. These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing. The Trump Administration… pic.twitter.com/j9cH5RVazT
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 6, 2025
Meanwhile, discussions around National Weather Service’s staffing and forecasting capabilities continue as former NWS directors expressed concerns over potential future loss of life due to under-resourcing.
“Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life. We know that’s a nightmare shared by those on the forecasting front lines — and by the people who depend on their efforts,” the former directors wrote in a joint warning letter about the risks of future staffing reductions.
However, Trump said on Sunday that there are no plans to rehire the fired employees.
