Trump Sees Texas Devastation

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump toured the site of the catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country on Friday, speaking to first responders and families of the victims. "It's hard to believe the devastation. Trees that are 100 years old, just ripped out of the ground," the president said, per NBC News. "I've never seen anything like it." At the same time, Trump bristled at a reporter's question about the government alerts that families said could have saved lives if they'd been issued sooner. Developments include:

• 'Beautiful young souls': "My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls," Melania Trump said. "We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you." The first lady said that she had met with "beautiful young ladies" who gave her a bracelet from Camp Mystic in honor of the children killed in the flooding. So far, 27 children and counselors are confirmed or feared dead at the Christian camp.
• FEMA's future: Trump has talked about eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but he praised the work it's doing in Texas. "Some good people are running FEMA. It's about time, right?" he said. Claudio Gonzalez, 78, joined a gathering at a makeshift memorial to victims, where some people were hoping to catch a glimpse of the president. "I'd like to holler at him and tell him, 'No taxation without FEMA,'" he said.

• 'Evil' questioner: Trump snapped at a reporter at a discussion in Kerrville who asked about families' comments that flood alerts should have gone out earlier. "I don't know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that," Trump said. He then praised the emergency response. "I think this has been heroism," the president said. Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have said this week that the system needs to be improved, per the Washington Post. "We're going to work on every single solution to make sure things like this don't happen again," Abbott said.
• Surfing: Speaking of the ferocity of the flood, Trump said it would have made "the best surfers in the world would be afraid to surf."
• Praise all around: At the Kerrville event, Trump praised the job being done by first responders, Abbott, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Everybody is here," the president said, per the Hill. "Half of government is here."