Leavitt says blaming Trump for Texas floods is 'depraved lie'

The White House on Monday called it a “depraved lie” to blame President Trump for deadly flash floods in Texas, as some question whether Trump's cuts to the federal government could have impacted the human toll of the disaster.

“Unfortunately, in the wake of this once-in-a-generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media. Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. 

The catastrophic flooding in the Lone Star State has killed more than 80 people, including 27 children and counselors from an all-girls summer camp, while search and rescue efforts are ongoing for dozens still missing. 

Leavitt's comments followed a Monday letter from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), who demanded that the Commerce Department's inspector general investigate vacancies at National Weather Service (NWS) offices and whether they contributed to delays, gaps, or diminished accuracy of forecasts related to the flooding.

The New York Times has reported that key roles at NWS local offices were vacant as heavy rains hit Central Texas. Though some of the openings may predate the current administration, the Times noted, the vacancy rate is roughly double what it was when Trump took office earlier this year.  

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) raised similar questions during an interview with CNN on Sunday, calling for an investigation into what impact weather service staffing cuts had on the local preparation for the floods.

“When you have flash flooding, there’s a risk that you won’t have the personnel to make that — do that analysis, do the predictions in the best way,” Castro said. “And it could lead to tragedy. So, I don’t want to sit here and say conclusively that that was the case, but I do think that it should be investigated.”

The Trump administration fired hundreds of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration staff earlier this year, including some NWS staff, then sought to reassign other employees to "critically understaffed" NWS offices in May.

Republicans have pushed back against suggestions that staffing cuts were partly to blame for the disaster, and Leavitt hammered that point on Monday. 

“I just do think those comments are depraved and despicable,” she said. “The National Weather Service, as I said, did its job. … Many Democratic elected officials are trying to turn this into a political game. It is not. This is a national tragedy.”

Trump, who has expressed sympathy amid the rising death toll, is tentatively planning to make a trip to the flood-ravaged Texas later this week, Leavitt announced, “likely on Friday,” but avoiding disruptions to recovery efforts from state and local officials.