Biden, Harris not going to Maui because they ‘don’t want to distract’ from relief efforts
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will not travel to Maui in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires because they “don’t want to distract” from the ongoing rescue efforts, the VP said today – while at least 1,000 people remain unaccounted for.
“We don’t want to distract from the resources that need to go in to the victims of this tragedy, and of course the needs of the first responders have to be able to focus on that issue and not worry about focusing on us [because] we’re there,” Harris told reporters before boarding Air Force Two for Chicago Friday, CSPAN reported.
“We are coordinating federal resources to swiftly get there to support the work in terms of recovery, but to just support the folks on the ground. It is tragic,” Harris noted, adding that she and Biden are “deeply concerned” about the blaze that has left at least 55 people dead and decimated a beloved historic enclave.
Biden issued a federal disaster declaration for the islands on Thursday, CNN said.
The federal government also released food and water to support 5,000 people for five days, the outlet confirmed on Friday.
Search and rescue efforts are still underway, as officials estimate that at least 1,000 people remain missing, KTVU FOX 2 reported.
Speaking to the TODAY Show on Friday morning, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the number of deceased victims will likely increase, as the current toll only accounts for those found outside of buildings.
Authorities are waiting for FEMA to continue scouring burned-out structures, he said.
In addition to the missing and deceased, thousands of people are now displaced after being forced to flee their homes as they were engulfed in flames.
Several harrowing videos show people – including families with small children in tow – scrambling into the ocean while ash and debris rains on them.
Rescue and relief efforts are hampered by widespread power and communication outages.
“We as a local nonprofit are not able to even access anything west of Maalaea. West Maui is completely cut off from communication and power,” Lauren Henrie, a communications consultant for Maui Rescue Mission, told CNN.
“We are looking at years, years of recovery here,” she added.
While Biden and Harris shied away from visiting the scene of the devastation, Oprah Winfrey has already been spotted volunteering at a relief shelter.
The media mogul, who is part-time Maui resident, donated supplies and chatted with displaced residents at the War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku Thursday.
