White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has sparked outrage after describing the deadly Texas floods as an “act of God” during a press briefing. The catastrophic flooding during Fourth of July celebrations killed over 100 people, with many still missing.
The disaster saw a month’s worth of rain fall within hours, causing the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet. Entire communities were devastated, with 84 deaths in Kerr County alone – including 10 unidentified children among the victims.
Critics have blamed the Trump administration for failing to properly staff the National Weather Service (NWS) after budget cuts. Some argue crucial warnings weren’t issued in time to prevent loss of life.
Leavitt vehemently defended President Trump, calling accusations against him “depraved lies.” She insisted the NWS provided adequate warnings despite the “unprecedented rainfall,” calling the tragedy an unavoidable divine act.
The comments ignited backlash on social media, with users condemning the religious framing. Many pointed to Trump’s NOAA budget cuts as contributing to the disaster response failures rather than supernatural causes.
One critic noted emergency alerts should have been sent sooner, especially when people were sleeping. Others mocked the administration for “blaming God” when policies could be at fault.
President Trump later declared Kerr County a major disaster area, acknowledging the “horrible” situation while defending his delayed response to avoid interfering with rescue efforts. The tragedy continues to raise questions about emergency preparedness and climate policy