President Trump on Saturday is making his second visit to Texas since Hurricane Harvey hit, this time to meet with victims of the deadly storm.
The president and first lady Melania Trump departed from the White House Saturday morning to travel to both Texas and Louisiana, as communities there grapple with the fallout from thousands of flooded homes and at least 40 deaths.
The president and his wife visited Texas on Tuesday, but didn’t meet with victims of the devastation, prompting some to criticize the president. Mr. Trump gave an off-the-cuff speech to some supporters at a firehouse in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he exclaimed, “What a crowd, what a turnout.”
Vice President Mike Pence also visited Texas earlier this week, clearing branches from a battered church in Corpus Christi.
The White House on Friday requested $7.9 billion for an an initial Harvey relief package for things like housing assistance and home repairs. The White House said at least 100,000 homes were affected by flooding, many of them without insurance.
The White House announced the president will donate $1 million of his personal funds towards relief efforts. The president has not yet selected a charity for making the contribution.