Trump on Harvey: ‘Texas can handle anything’

Aug. 30--The grim news of Hurricane Harvey's disastrous tour of Texas brought President Donald Trump to Corpus Christi.

But as he was leaving, the visit had more of the look of a rally -- hundreds of supporters lining the road roaring approval as he emerged from the Annaville Volunteer Fire Department, where he had been briefed on local recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Category 4 storm.

"We love you, you are special, we're here to take care, it's going well," he told the crowd, standing atop the front end of a fire truck. "...we're going to get you back up and operating immediately."

The news delivered inside the fire department moments before, however, was more somber.

The process ahead will be long and difficult, "but rest assured, we're doing everything we can," Brock Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told a full room of federal, state and local officials.

"This recovery is going to be frustrating," he said, in comments that often referenced Houston's ongoing, catastrophic flooding. "We're going to be here with you to help guide you through it."

Corpus Christi, at one point thought to be the direct target of Harvey's eye, escaped relatively whole -- with the exception of areas of Mustang Island, the city only saw minor damages. To the south and north, it was a different story.

Hurricane Harvey's landfall hurdled 100-plus mile per hour winds through Port Aransas and Rockport, leaving structures ripped, trees and powerlines down, boats strewn from their docks and streets carpeted with glass, nails and twisted metal.

On Tuesday, Trump generally praised the work of emergency responders, but added a caveat: There won't be "congratulations" exchanged until the crisis has concluded.

"We want to do it better than ever before," he said. "We want to be looked at in five years, in 10 years from now as 'this is the way to do it.' "

Trump announced the trip to Corpus Christi shortly after Harvey plowed through the Coastal Bend, leaving behind millions in damage and at least one person dead.

In Corpus Christi, he was met at the airport by Gov. Greg Abbott, who could be seen talking with Long on the tarmac shortly before the president's arrival.

At the briefing, Trump was flanked at the table by a number of cabinet members, including Ben Carson, Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, and Tom Price, Department of Health and Human Services secretary.

Congressional and state senators representing the Coastal Bend -- state Rep. Todd Hunter, state Sen. Chuy Hinojosa, state Rep. Abel Herrero, U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, and U.S. senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz -- were in on the talks, as well as local officials: Port Aransas Mayor Charles Bujan, Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb and County Judge Loyd Neal.

Nueces County Sheriff Jim Kaelin also met with Trump, posting a photo of him with the president on Facebook.

Earlier in the day, Vice President Mike Pence interviewed with K-99's Big Frank Edwards.

Trump has described the disaster as nothing like anyone had ever seen, and there would be swift delivery of federal aid to areas struck by the storm.

Departing Corpus Christi, he was scheduled to make a stop in Austin to tour the State Operations Center.The crowds that were along the president's route and across the street from where he was briefed appeared to be largely supportive of Trump, with a handful of protesters who could be seen from the fire station.

At the airport, there were a few dozen protesters and several hundred supporters.

Trump left on an optimistic note in an address to the crowds that waited for his exit from the fire station, waving U.S. and Texas flags, and alternatively shouting "USA!" and "Texas, Trump!" along with a few calls to "lock her up."

He told the outdoor audience they would see him soon, later pulling out a Texas flag.

"I will tell you this is historic. This is epic, what happened," he said. "But you know what? It happened in Texas, and Texas can handle anything."

USA Today News reports contributed to this story.

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