A reporter from CBS News Texas asked the president Friday if more lives could've been saved if emergency alerts were issued earlier.

"It’s hard to believe the devastation," Trump said. "Trees that are 100 years old just ripped out of the ground. I've never seen anything like this, and I've seen a lot of bad ones."

Joined by first lady Melania Trump and officials, Trump surveyed the devastation and met with victims' families and emergency responders.

Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump said he wanted to begin “phasing out” the Federal Emergency Management Agency after this hurricane season to “wean off of FEMA” and “bring it down to the state level.

In early July 2025, a screenshot claimed to show a real Truth Social post by U.S. President Donald Trump calling on people to forget the "Epstein files" and focus on the "beautiful young girls" who died in the Texas flash floods over the Fourth of July. Per the screenshot, Trump wrote:

The governor was quick to request federal assistance last week after devastating floods hit the Texas Hill Country.

President Donald Trump has avoided talk of scrapping the federal disaster response agency after the catastrophic flash flood in Texas that killed more than 100 people, including children at an all-girls camp.

Nearly a week after deadly floods struck Central Texas, search and rescue teams are continuing to probe debris for those still missing.