Joe Biden Looks To Stem Growing Fury Over Maui Fire Response

U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged that he and the first lady will visit Hawaii "as soon as we can" to survey the response to a series of wildfires that have caused death and destruction on the island of Maui.

Speaking during a tour of an electrical engineering factory in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Biden remarked on the massive recovery operation now underway on the island, but did not explicitly commit to visiting Maui. He said: "I don't want to get in the way."

The president's remarks during a speech that otherwise focused on his so-called "Bidenomics" could be construed as an attempt to quell growing outrage over the handling of the disaster.

Biden has faced criticism from political opponents over his response to the crisis, which has been compared to his reaction to a toxic spill in East Palestine, Ohio earlier in the year. His announcement that affected households in Maui would be eligible for a one-off $700 payment on Monday was described as "insulting" by detractors.

Large bush fires on Maui caused power outages, mass evacuations and extensive destruction to the historic resort town of Lahaina, which was once the seat of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The fires broke out early last week and spread rapidly on hurricane-driven winds from a passing storm.

So far, 106 people have been confirmed as dead and more than a thousand remain unaccounted for as emergency responders comb burned homes for human remains. Robert Dyckman, 74, and 79-year-old Buddy Jantoc—both Lahaina residents—have been identified among the dead.

In its latest update, County of Maui officials said that the fire around Lahaina—which spanned an estimated 2,170 acres—was 85 percent under control, with multiple fire crews monitoring it. Another blaze on the island is now entirely contained, while a third was 75 percent contained.

"My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can," Biden said on Tuesday. "That's what I've been talking to the governor [Josh Green] about: I don't want to get in the way.

"I've been to too many disaster areas, but I want to go and make sure we've got everything they need. I want to make sure we don't disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts."

Describing the wildfires as the deadliest incident of its kind in over a hundred years, the president lamented the "generations of native Hawaiian history turned into ruin," adding: "Imagine being a mom or dad, wondering where your child is, or imagine being a husband or wife, mother or father. It's really tough stuff."

However, his announcement of a visit to Hawaii was still met with some criticism online. X, formerly Twitter, users characterized Biden as "a disaster" and joked that "there's a beach there too"—a reference to the president's recent stays at his seaside home in Delaware.

While there, Biden had what some saw as a dismissive response to the death toll on Maui, reportedly brushing off questions about the disaster from journalists.

Alok Mukherjee described Biden's concerns about getting in the way as "utter nonsense," adding: "A visit by [the president] can have no conceivable impact on the search and rescue operation. On the other hand, should survivors and families of the missing or dead ask questions, he should answer."

However, Sean Nienow, a former Republican state senator in Minnesota, said "a boots on the ground tour in Maui probably isn't best," but suggested he could fly into another Hawaiian island and fly over Maui in Marine One "any time."

Newsweek approached the White House via email for comment on Wednesday.

Presidential visits require complex security arrangements that usually involve a large number of staff and vehicles, as well as supplies and accommodation for his detail. A visit by Biden could be viewed as potentially overwhelming to a relatively remote recovery operation.

The Biden administration gave a similar reason for not visiting East Palestine in February. Biden drew the ire of Republicans and local lawmakers over his decision to visit Kyiv ahead of the one-year anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, instead of visiting the domestic crash site.

During his speech, Biden also addressed the federal response to the disaster in Maui, which has been stepped up since the president declared an emergency on Thursday.

"Almost 5,000 federal personnel have been deployed to Maui to help communities and survivors get back on their feet," he said. "FEMA search and rescue teams are sifting through the ashes in that five-mile area that you've seen on television that's been burned.

"It's painstaking work; it takes time and it's nerve-wracking. Most of the debris can't be removed till it's done."