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The hallmark of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s week included touching down in Kerrville, Texas, Friday after massive floods in the region took the lives of more than 120 people.
Both the president and the first lady met with local officials and first responders who are addressing the fallout and devastation of flash floods that struck the Central Texas community, after the Guadalupe River surged more than 22 feet in just a matter of hours.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. This is a bad one,” Trump said during a roundtable Friday with the local officials and responders.
In addition to the lives lost in the flood, officials report that more than 160 people are missing and unaccounted for in Kerr County, Texas.
“So all across the country, Americans’ hearts are shattered,” Trump said. “We’re filled with grief and devastation. It’s the loss of life, and unfortunately, they’re still looking.”
“My administration’s doing everything in its power to help Texas,” he said.
Those who died in the flooding were at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp founded nearly 100 years ago for girls.
“They were there because they loved God,” Trump said at the roundtable. “And as we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God has welcomed those little beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven.”
Here’s what also happened this week:
Cabinet meeting
Trump held a Cabinet meeting Tuesday where he discussed plans to visit the Texas flood sites.
“I’ll be going down on Friday with the first lady, and we will be taking a trip,” Trump said. “And we don’t want to get in anyone’s way, because, you know, it’s what happens. The president goes, and everyone’s around focused. I don’t want anyone to focus on us, but it’s possible they could have.”
Trump also addressed SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s new pitch for a third political party, following the signing of Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” on the Fourth of July. Musk opposed the measure due to concerns it would increase the deficit and raise the debt ceiling.
But Trump said he isn’t worried about any challenges from Musk’s new “America Party.”
“I think it’ll help us. It’ll probably help. Third parties have always been good for me,” Trump said at the Cabinet meeting.
Trump also shared details of a recent call he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming he’s becoming frustrated with Putin as the war between Russia and Ukraine rages on.
“We get a lot of bulls— thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Netanyahu meeting
Trump also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and Tuesday — marking the third time Netanyahu has visited Washington during Trump’s second term. The visit comes as Trump is seeking to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Trump signaled one might be on the horizon soon.
“I will tell you we’re getting very close to a deal,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t know if it’s secret or not secret, but doesn’t matter to me — secrets fine if it gets us to where we want to be, we want to have a ceasefire.”
“We want to have peace,” he said. “We want to get the hostages back. And I think we’re close to doing it.”
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