Joe Biden seems to forget name of Maui as he speaks on Hawaii wildfire | US News
Biden, 80, addressed the deadly wildfires at the start of a speech in Milwaukee promoting his economic initiatives Tuesday afternoon, two days after declining to comment on the rising death toll.
He mentioned the state of Hawaii and its hard-hit island of Maui multiple times. But later in his speech, Biden appeared to forget the name of Maui, where an entire historic city burned to the ground.
‘The army helicopters helped fire suppression and efforts in the Big Island,’ said Biden, ‘Because there’s still some burning on the Big Island, not the one, not the one where, you see on television all the time’.
Catastrophic wildfires started in Maui a week ago, on August 8. The devastation has been wiped out Lahaina and residents ran into the ocean to escape the flames and smoke. As of Monday, the wildfires in Maui had killed at least 99 people.
On Sunday, reporters asked Biden on Rehoboth Beach about the rising death toll in the Aloha State.
‘No comment,’ said Biden, according to Bloomberg reporter Justin Sink, and headed to his home in the beachside Delaware city.
Biden on Tuesday detailed federal relief efforts for the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. He announced a $700 one-time grant to victims through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The president also said he and the first lady will visit the burned sites, but said he had not yet determined when.
‘My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can,’ he said.
‘That’s what I’ve been talking to the governor about. I don’t want to get in the way. I’ve been to too many disaster areas.
‘But I want to go make sure we got everything they need. Want to be sure we don’t disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts.’
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