When President Biden landed in Hawaii to address the tragic aftermath of the wildfires that claimed over 110 lives, his attempt at humor didn’t sit well with numerous social media users.
Upon arriving, Biden interacted with officials and paused to pet a search and rescue dog. Noticing the boots the dog wore, he asked the media present, “Did you notice the boots?” with a smile, adding, “The ground’s really hot, isn’t it?”
This casual comment about the ground’s heat after such a devastating event seemed insensitive to many who viewed the footage.
Founder of Harrison Metal, Michael Dearing, commented, “Making light in the presence of a dog trained to find human remains isn’t leadership.”
Conservative voice Robby Starbuck remarked, “Consider if your family member perished in the fires just weeks ago, and the President visits post two vacations, only to jest about the heated ground. It’s distasteful.”
Conservative commentator Steve Guest simply said, “He needs to understand the room.”
RedState’s Bonchie posted, “I hope this is just a lapse in judgement.” Another writer from RedState, Buzz Patterson, said, “He shouldn’t be taken out.”
Jimmy Failla, from Fox News Radio, quipped, “After joking about Maui’s heated ground, will he jest about Pearl Harbor next?”
John Hasson, a Townhall contributor, pointed out, “In Maui, he remarks about the heat, in Nashville, he jokes about ice cream, and in Afghanistan, he jests about evacuations. There’s a recurring tone here.”
In defense of the President, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates called out the detractors, stating, “He’s acknowledging the efforts of a dog searching for remains. To criticize him in this context is misguided and unwarranted.”
President Biden has faced scrutiny for his handling of the wildfires, especially after initially stating “no comment” when asked about the escalating death count. He later mentioned his and the First Lady’s plans to visit Hawaii soon.
A Maui local expressed her disappointment on CNN, questioning the administration’s assistance, “Why does it feel like we’re overlooked, even though we’re Americans?”
The Maui County Mayor, Richard Bissen, announced that around 850 individuals are yet to be found.
WATCH:
Biden jokes about how hot the ground is while touring wildfire damage in Maui pic.twitter.com/lY18UQ36fP
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 21, 2023
