“An Act of God?” White House Faces Backlash Over Texas Flood Response
As raging floodwaters swallowed homes, roads, and lives across Central Texas, another storm took shape—this time from behind the podium of the White House.
On what should have been a weekend of celebration, Kerrville, Texas became the epicenter of heartbreak. Families were ripped apart as walls of water tore through communities with terrifying speed.
Emergency crews searched through debris fields. Entire neighborhoods vanished. And amid the chaos, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a statement that would ignite a national firestorm.
“This was an act of God,” Leavitt said during a July 6 press briefing, responding to questions about the federal government’s role in the disaster.
“Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie and serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.”
To some, it sounded like an attempt to deflect. To others, it felt like a slap in the face.
A Disaster, and a Deepening Divide
The floods—triggered by unprecedented rainfall that caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in less than two hours—have so far claimed more than 100 lives, with scores still missing. Kerr County, hardest hit, has reported at least 84 deaths, including dozens of children. Rescue teams are still combing through the wreckage in what officials are calling one of the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history.
But anger isn’t aimed only at nature. It’s aimed at decisions made long before the skies opened.
Multiple emergency management officials have raised concerns that the National Weather Service (NWS) failed to issue timely, forceful warnings—failures they trace back to budget cuts and leadership vacancies. These cuts, initiated under the Department of Government Efficiency, were reportedly backed by figures including Elon Musk, who had advocated for streamlining federal agencies.
Critics argue those cuts left vulnerable communities without the resources they needed to respond.
“They keep calling it ‘an act of God,’” one Kerrville resident told a local news outlet. “But who cut the funding for flood response? God didn’t do that.”
Public Reaction: Swift and Scathing
On social media, backlash came fast.
“You don’t gut the warning system and then call it divine intervention,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).
“They blamed Biden when gas was high. Now they blame God when people drown?” another post read.
A third chimed in: “We had 40 minutes’ notice. People were asleep. And the sirens never came.”
Leavitt stood firm during the briefing, repeating that the administration had done what it could and praising the National Weather Service for issuing alerts under “extraordinary conditions.”
But for many Texans, it wasn’t enough.
Biden Responds with Disaster Declaration
President Joe Biden issued a major disaster declaration on July 6, unlocking federal aid for affected counties and signaling a more active federal response.
“We didn’t want to interfere with search and rescue,” Biden said from the White House lawn. “But make no mistake—what happened in Texas is a tragedy of unimaginable scale.”
He stopped short of directly addressing Leavitt’s remarks.
The Real Question: Could This Have Been Prevented?
This isn’t just a debate over terminology. Calling the Texas floods an “act of God” frames the tragedy as unpreventable—beyond human control. But survivors, emergency workers, and local officials say otherwise.
Experts note that early warning systems, floodplain management, and infrastructure investment can significantly reduce disaster impacts. Many are now asking: Why were these systems weakened? And who is responsible for letting it happen?
As recovery continues, so does the reckoning. Families want answers. Communities want change. And the country, still reeling from the sheer scale of the loss, wants leadership that accepts accountability—not divine absolution.
Conclusion
Natural disasters may be driven by nature, but their outcomes are shaped by policy. As Texas mourns and rebuilds, Karoline Leavitt’s “act of God” comment has sparked more than just outrage—it’s forced the nation to confront the real costs of political choices.
In a time of sorrow, the American people aren’t just seeking comfort. They’re demanding responsibility, reform, and respect for those whose lives were lost—not in an act of God, but in a preventable failure of man.
