Trump praises Texas disaster recovery work

President Donald Trump landed in Texas on Tuesday to assess ongoing Harvey relief efforts. “We want to do it better than ever before,” Trump said during a briefing on aid for hurricane and flooding victims in Corpus Christi, Texas. “We want to be looked at in five years and 10 years from now as this is the way to do it.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he had been in touch with Trump constantly since Texas began bracing for Harvey last week. He told reporters Trump offered whatever Texas needed. Trump praised Abbott and other state leaders for their response thus far. “Working with the governor and his team has been an honor for us,” Trump said. “We will congratulate each other when it’s all finished.” Corpus Christi was among the first cities Harvey hit. It landed as a Category 4 hurricane and is now a tropical storm. Skies are clear in Corpus Christi on Tuesday, but the storm continues to dump rain and cause flooding in Houston and surrounding areas. Trump avoided Houston on purpose to keep from interrupting ongoing rescue missions. The president and first lady Melania Trump will travel to Austin later Tuesday afternoon to meet with more state leaders. Trump plans to return to Texas on Saturday after the rain subsides.

See “Harvey Relief” for information on organizations assisting victims affected by the storm.