Biden compares Maui wildfires to kitchen fire he experienced

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
22 Aug 2023 15:22
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The president is also facing a wave of criticism by Hawaiian residents who received just $700 handed to each affected family by the Biden administration after losing homes and properties.

US President Joe Biden (second right), US first lady Jill Biden (right), Hawaii Governor Josh Green (second left) and Jaime Green, first lady of Hawaii, visit an area devastated by wildfires in Lahaina on Monday. (AFP)

After touring Maui following the wildfires that killed at least 114 people and left 850 missing, US President Joe Biden compared his experience to a small kitchen fire he said he had experienced previously - causing a wave of 'F*** you!' screams as his motorcade went by on the island.

Biden spoke of the loss of his wife and baby daughter in 1972, and then proceeded to compare the wildfires to a kitchen fire at his Delaware home that happened in 2004. The US President didn't stop there, since he continued to ask rescue teams whether their boots were reinforced before commenting on the 'hot ground' beneath their feet as a joke.

This comes amid a wave of criticism by Hawaiian residents who received just $700 handed for each affected family by the Biden administration after losing homes and properties.

Before his visit, he delivered a speech in Milwaukee last week and said: "I don't want to get in the way... I want to go make sure we got everything they need. Want to be sure we don't disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts".

The president also faced a massive wave of condemnation for his slow response to the disaster, especially after saying 'no comment' when asked for his response to the fires as he left on his vacation to the beach in Delaware.

Maui resident Ella Sable Tacderan expressed to CNN through tears: "It's really affecting me because where's the president?", adding: "I mean, aren't we Americans, too? We're part of the United States. Why are we getting put in the back pocket?"

She proceeded to say: "Why are we being ignored?"

The wildfires, which began on August 8, were exacerbated by dry, hot conditions and intensified by the powerful winds generated by Hurricane Dora. The fires ravaged multiple settlements, including the well-known tourist hub of Lahaina, prompting road closures and suspension of public transportation.