The White House and Senator Ted Cruz defended the National Weather Service (NWS) on Monday, pushing back against Democrats who suggested federal cuts may have hampered the agency’s ability to forecast the deadly flash floods that devastated Texas over the July Fourth weekend.
“This is not a time for partisan finger-pointing and attacks,” Cruz said during a press conference in Kerr County alongside local officials.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that sentiment, opening her daily briefing with sharp criticism of those blaming the administration for the disaster, which has so far left at least 104 dead, including more than two dozen children.
“In the aftermath of this once-in-a-generation natural disaster, we’ve seen misleading claims from Democrats like Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media,” Leavitt said. “Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie and serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.”
Schumer Calls for Investigation Into NWS
Earlier Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a formal investigation into whether staffing shortages at local NWS offices played a role in the scale of destruction. In a letter to the Commerce Department’s acting inspector general, Schumer questioned whether recent cuts had weakened the NWS’s ability to provide timely and accurate alerts.
But both the White House and the NWS disputed those claims.
In a statement to ABC News, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the NWS had planned ahead and increased staffing at the Austin/San Antonio regional office, assigning five meteorologists to monitor the storm instead of the usual two.
“The National Weather Service is heartbroken by the tragic loss of life in Kerr County,” the statement read. “Our office issued forecast briefings to emergency managers on July 3, a Flood Watch that afternoon, and Flash Flood Warnings overnight with lead times of more than three hours.”
Leavitt Defends Timeline of Warnings
From the White House podium, Leavitt outlined the NWS’s timeline of alerts:
- July 3, 1:18 p.m. – Flood Watch issued
- July 4, 1:14 a.m. – Flash Flood Warning for Bandera and Kerr counties
- July 4, 3:35 a.m. – Warning upgraded with more serious alerts
“To anyone spreading falsehoods about these facts, you should be ashamed,” Leavitt said.
When asked why warnings were issued while most people were asleep, Leavitt responded: “This was an act of God. It is not the administration’s fault the flood hit when it did. But the warnings were there — early and consistent. The National Weather Service did its job.”
Cruz: “Blaming Trump is Ridiculous”
Sen. Cruz also dismissed suggestions that Trump administration policies had undermined the weather service’s performance.
“In every natural disaster, some people try to exploit the tragedy for political gain. We’ve seen it with hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires — and now with this flood,” Cruz said. “To say the flooding is Donald Trump’s fault is ridiculous. Most Americans see right through that.”
He added that there would be time for a “reasonable, nonpartisan” review once rescue and recovery efforts were complete.
“There will be a time to look back and ask what happened, what worked, and what could have been done better,” Cruz said. “But that process should be driven by facts, not partisan bitterness.”
Trump Responds
President Trump, who is expected to visit Texas on Friday, also addressed questions about possible NWS staffing issues on Sunday.
“No, no. They didn’t leave vacancies,” Trump said when asked about the impact of federal cuts.
He initially tried to blame former President Biden, saying, “That was really the Biden setup.” But then appeared to soften his tone: “I wouldn’t blame Biden for it either. This is a hundred-year catastrophe — just horrible to watch.”
