NOTE: VIDEO AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE.
President Donald Trump ignited controversy during a press conference in Kerrville, Texas, after lashing out at a CBS News journalist who questioned him about the apparent lack of early warnings before a devastating flash flood killed at least 129 people and left over 150 missing.
The natural disaster struck on July 4th, while much of the country was celebrating Independence Day. But in rural areas of Texas, including Kerr County, the celebration turned to tragedy as torrential rainfall triggered catastrophic flash flooding. Homes and businesses were swept away, roads destroyed, and lives lost—among them, young girls attending Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River. With waters finally receding, many parents remain in anguish, uncertain of their children’s fates.
As recovery efforts continue, attention has shifted toward whether the disaster could have been mitigated. Some critics have pointed to budget cuts to the National Weather Service under Trump’s administration as a contributing factor to the lack of timely warnings. Social media users and local residents have demanded answers from officials—many believing lives could have been saved with more advanced notice.
Amid this growing criticism, President Trump traveled to Kerrville on July 11 to meet with emergency response teams and local leaders. However, when he opened the floor to press questions, a moment of tension quickly escalated into a public verbal attack.
A CBS journalist asked Trump:
“Several families we heard from are obviously upset because they say those warnings, those alerts didn’t go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?”
Initially measured in tone, Trump responded, “Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances.”
But moments later, his demeanor shifted.
“Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you,” Trump snapped. “I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that. It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Oh, what could have happened here or there?’ This was a thing that has never happened before.”
The remark drew immediate backlash, both in person and online. Critics accused the president of dodging responsibility and deflecting valid concerns. Representative Chip Roy, a staunch Trump ally, also spoke up, not to condemn the president’s words, but to defend him, attacking the media instead.
“For all of the media clamoring to ask that ridiculous first question and try to point fingers, the governor said it best when he said pointing fingers is for losers,” Roy declared.
According to reports, the National Weather Service did issue two flood warnings late the night before the disaster, but local officials, including Kerrville’s mayor, stated that they were unaware of the severity until well into the morning, when the destruction had already occurred.
Further compounding public frustration, The New York Times revealed that local leaders had submitted at least three requests for funding to implement a more advanced flood warning system—each reportedly denied by state officials.
As Texas communities reel from one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent memory, the focus remains split between mourning the lives lost and demanding answers about whether this tragedy could have been prevented.
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