The president’s reaction to the fires, which have killed at least 99 people, have left some observers wondering where he is.
In particular, his response of “no comment” on the rising death toll over the weekend distracted from federal relief efforts he has directed.
In remarks on Tuesday, the president said he and first lady Jill Biden would visit the area “as soon as we can,” before he pivoted to prepared remarks about the Inflation Reduction Act on a preplanned trip to Wisconsin to tout his economic accomplishments.
Principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said earlier Tuesday that the White House is “currently having active conversations about when a visit to Hawaii might be possible” but gave no further details.
Trump is among those who has gone after Biden’s response — comparing it to his response to the February train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Biden still has yet to visit the area.
The former president called his successor’s response “disgraceful” and said Biden “refuses to help or comment on the tragedy in Maui.”
But Trump also faced his own backlash when he was president over his response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
Read more in a full report from our colleague Alex Gangitano at TheHill.com.
