In 2005, on August 29th, a category 5 hurricane hit the United States making landfall on Gulf Coast states. Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters to befall the United States. While Katrina hit the United States on Monday, President George W. Bush did not return to Washington DC to deal with the situation until a day and a half later, opting to remain on his Texas Ranch for vacation during the initial landfall. His administration was criticized heavily for its response to the hurricane, as well as the politicization of the recovery effort. The Maui wildfires are dwindling in devastation and cost, but nonetheless, they are a tragedy. A tragedy President Biden has failed to respond to.

Throughout early August, a series of wildfires broke out across Hawaii, predominantly on the island of Maui. The spread of the fires was the result of heavy winds and the dry conditions created by Hurricane Dora. Mass evacuations resulted from the spread of the fires with hundreds displaced after losing their homes to the fires. In the aftermath, 115 were left dead and 385 are still unaccounted for in Lāhainā, with more than 2,200 structures burned. On August 10, President Biden declared a national emergency. However, while Maui was on fire, like President Bush, Biden remained on vacation on Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

“No comment”, was President Biden’s response exiting his motorcade at the White House after returning from vacation. His comment sparked outrage among conservatives, as well as gained reactions from his party.

Former Hawaii Representative, Kaniela Ing (D HI-11), responded by saying, “When tragedies like this occur, it’s shocking to see people just conducting business as usual. … On the one hand, you don’t want everyone to be in a perpetual somber mood, but on the other hand, how can you just carry on like that?”

President Biden would later take an aerial tour of the fires and devastation before landing in Marine One in the town of Lāhainā, where he met with survivors and promised support from Washington. His motorcade would encounter rows of survivors on the streets greeting him with chants of obscenities and “You’re too late”. After his tour, the President made brief remarks to the people of Maui.  The President started by voicing his support of Lahaina before he thanked Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green, Lt. Gov Sylvia Luke, Senator Mazie Hir, Representative Ed Chase, and Mayor Rick Bissen. He voiced a plan to rebuild in a way that respects the sacred culture and grounds, talked about the death of his first wife and daughter, and continued outlining details of the recovery effort underway.

President Biden concluded by saying, “And to the people of Hawaii, we’re with you for as long as it takes, I promise you.”, before blessing our troops as well as the country and turning the podium over to Governor Green.

Continuing on his Maui tour, President Biden made critical blunders in his comments, specifically comparing a 1990s small house fire in his New Castle County home in Delaware, to the entire communities wiped out by the Maui wildfires. He again drew wide criticism for the perceived tone-deafness of the comments. In addition, a large amount of criticism was given to the Biden Administration for its plan to give each affected Hawaiian family $700 to assist and rebuild. The controversy is the context that President Biden since taking office has given $75 billion in relief to Ukraine, sparking outrage that President Biden cares more for foreign nations than Americans.

Upon returning to the continental United States, President Biden would return to Lake Tahoe to take yet another vacation where he stayed at a democratic billionaire’s mansion.

In the meantime, Hawaiian officials continue to work towards rebuilding Maui and affected areas, as well as searching for missing persons, and executing the recovery process.

“The devastation is behind me, but we will put our hope in front of us”, Governor Green said as he addressed Hawaiians on Front Street, in Lāhainā.