LAHAINA, Hawaii (NewsNation) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will arrive in Maui Monday to survey the damage from the Hawaiian wildfires and meet with victims who have lost everything.
It’s an important moment for the president as he and his administration have been under intense scrutiny for their response to the wildfires ahead of his visit.
The two land in Maui around 11 a.m. local time and will board helicopters to get an aerial view of the devastation.
President Biden is expected to speak from Maui during his first visit since wildfires devastated the island Monday, Aug. 21 starting at 6:30p/5:30C. Watch live in the player above.
Later in the day, they will head to Lahaina, where they will get a first-hand look at the damage from the ground.
There, Biden will be briefed by state and local officials on the extent of the damage.
Following the briefing, the president and first lady will attend a community event, meeting with first responders and survivors who escaped the fire.
The visit is an opportunity for Biden to act as consoler-in-chief, especially after initially giving a “no comment” response about the fires. His original reaction to the devastation rubbed many in Maui the wrong way.
The Biden administration is also criticized for FEMA’s response, as many victims claimed they couldn’t get access to resources and basic necessities last week.
However, FEMA officials claim the help is there. More than 1,000 FEMA personnel are on the ground in Maui and $8.2 million is available in assistance. Also, FEMA has given out 50,000 meals so far as well as 75,000 liters of water.
Other federal entities like the Army Corps of Engineers are also on the ground in Maui, setting up generators to restore power to the island. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been helping with identifying the human remains of those who did not survive.
Biden is also expected to announce a new chief of the federal response to this disaster for FEMA and a new $3 million grant from the Department of Transportation that will be immediately available to Hawaii to help in the recovery.
