Doctor sacked for saying flood victims were Trump supporters who got ‘what they voted for'
At least 119 people are feared dead in the floods
A children's doctor in the US has apologised after a post claiming the Texas flood victims were Trump supporters who got 'what they voted for' went viral.
Houston pediatrician Dr Christina B Propst, who issued a grovelling apology having been sacked over the post, said she is taking 'full responsibility' for her words.
Claiming she had not known that 'so many precious lives were lost to the terrible tragedy' at the time she posted the message, she said she was 'deeply sorry'
'I speak to you as a mother, a neighbor, a pediatrician, and a human being who is deeply sorry,' she added in a post first reported by the Texas news station KPRC.
'I understand my comment caused immense pain to those suffering indescribable grief and for that I am truly sorry.
Dr Christina B Propst issued a grovelling apology
News in 90 Seconds - July 10th
'I would like to make clear that my regrettable comment was in no way a response to the tragic loss of human life … and … that is a fact that I deeply regret.'
Blaming the backlash on her post 'being shared with the false impression that I made it after the devastating loss of life was known,' she acknowledged: 'The comment was mine and mine alone.'
More than 160 people, including dozens of children, are reportedly still missing in the wake of the devastating floods, and at least 119 have died — with that number expected to rise, officials said.
While insisting she wrote her post before knowing anyone had died, she admitted: 'The words written were mine and regardless of how they are being presented, that is a fact that I deeply regret.
'I want to apologize to each and every individual suffering through terrible loss in this difficult time.'
In the post, Propst alluded to how Kerr county, Texas, had – like the state as a whole – voted in favour of Trump as he defeated former vice-president Kamala Harris in November's White House election.
The since-deleted post that appeared under her old Facebook username, Chris Tina, read: 'May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry. Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA.
'They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts.'
In a statement issued on Monday after she was initially suspended, Propst's employer, Blue Fish Pediatrics, said she was 'no longer employed'.
According to a biography at Blue Fish's website which was recently taken offline, Propst is a native of New York who graduated from Princeton University in 1991.
She graduated from New Orleans's Tulane medical school, received certifications from the American board as well as academy of pediatrics and spent 17 years in group practice in Houston before joining Blue Fish in 2018.
At least 119 people are feared dead in the floods
Propst insisted that politics had never impacted her judgment or actions as a medical provider, adding that she is 'tirelessly committed to children's medical care and would never be so callous as to make such a remark about lives cut so terribly short.'
She said her words came from 'a place of frustration' amid her belief that better support is needed to prepare and respond to disasters.
'We strongly condemn the comments that were made in that post,' Blue Fish Pediatrics' statement said. 'That post does not reflect the values, standards or mission of Blue Fish Pediatrics. We do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs.'
According to the Guardian, many US healthcare providers are required by their employers, as a condition of their employment, to avoid circulating opinions which could undermine trust in their profession among members of the public.
Propst' post was published as communities along Texas's Guadalupe River were overwhelmed from flash flooding triggered by torrential rain on Friday morning.
The river rose eight metres in 45 minutes leading to the deaths of at least 119 people.
This includes more than two dozen campers and counsellors at the nondenominational Christian institution of Camp Mystic.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
US military to remove 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the removal of half of the 4,000 National Guard troops who had been sent to Los Angeles to protect federal property and personnel during a spate of protests last month, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the decision was due to the success of the mission. "Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," Mr Parnell said in a statement. "As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission," he added. US President Donald Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The Republican president also sent about 700 Marines. Despite legal challenges, a US appeals court let Mr Trump retain control of California's National Guard. However, his decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on US soil inflamed political tension in the country's second-most-populous city. The Pentagon has defended the deployment, saying safeguarding ICE agents ensures they can do their jobs. Even after the withdrawal of those military personnel from Los Angeles, 2,000 National Guard troops will remain in the city along with the roughly 700 Marines. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has complained that military force was unnecessary and damaging to the local economy, said popular opposition contributed to the withdrawal. Protesters regularly appear at immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, demonstrating their opposition to the government's force. "This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong. We organised peaceful protests, we came together at rallies, we took the Mr Trump administration to court - all of this led to today's retreat," Ms Bass said. She referred to a lawsuit the city joined that led to an order from a federal judge barring immigration officers from detaining people based solely on their race or for speaking Spanish. The troops in Los Angeles are authorised to detain people who pose a threat to federal personnel or property, but only until police can arrest them. Military officials are not allowed to carry out arrests themselves. Mr Trump has vowed to deport millions of people in the country illegally and has executed raids at work sites including farms that were largely exempted from enforcement during his first term. The administration has faced dozens of lawsuits across the country challenging its tactics. Mr Trump has increasingly turned to the military in his immigration crackdown. In addition to sending troops to Los Angeles, thousands of active duty troops have been eployed to the border with Mexico and the Pentagon has created military zones in the border area. The zones are intended to allow the Mr Trump administration to use troops to detain migrants without invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act that empowers a president to deploy the US military to suppress events such as civil disorder.
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Harris to meet pharmaceutical sector representatives based in the US
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, will meet senior representatives from the pharmaceutical sector based in the United States today. The online meeting comes at a critical juncture in EU-US trade talks and amid the ongoing US Section 232 investigation into the pharmaceutical sector. An important component of Ireland's economic relationship with the United States includes significant, mutually beneficial trade and investment partnerships in the pharmaceutical sector. Speaking before the meeting, the Tánaiste said: "The economic partnership between Ireland and the US, and the EU and the US in the pharmaceutical sector, is critically important. Trade and investment in this sector is mutually beneficial." Section 232 investigations are focused on national security issues; the integrated supply chain in pharma products between the EU, including Ireland and the US, supports rather than threatens our collective transatlantic economic security," Mr Harris said. "Fundamentally, governments and businesses alike have an interest in mutually beneficial transatlantic trade and investment, in supporting jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, and in pursuing negotiated solutions to trade and economic disputes. This is at the core of my ongoing outreach, both to the US government and to representatives of key economic sectors both domestically and in the US," the Tánaiste added. Background The Tánaiste has engaged directly with the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the pharma issue. Ireland's position is that the treatment of pharma should be within negotiations with the EU on an agreement in principle. Ireland makes payments in royalties and licences to US pharmaceutical companies of an estimated €20bn, which in turn supports manufacturing of finished products within the US, the EU and across the world. There is no doubt this is a crucial sector to our economy; In fact, there are about 49,000 people employed in pharma in Ireland. They are here for many reasons; They have access to a highly talented, skilled labour market. They have access too to an EU market of over 450 million people in terms of the European Union. About 80% of what US pharma companies export back to the United States is not the finished product. It goes into US factories, it creates jobs for American workers. The Government is continuing to engage intensively with the pharma sector as well as with EU partners and the European Commission.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Putin launches missiles and drones attack in night of hell for Ukraine with dozens of explosions rocking Kharkiv
VLADIMIR Putin has unleashed another night of deadly strikes on Ukraine leaving at least two dead and dozens wounded. Russian drones and missiles attacked several areas of Ukraine with the city of Kharkiv being the worst impacted by the terrifying barrage. Advertisement 4 A Russian drone attack hit Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine overnight Credit: Alamy 4 The city of Kharkiv was reportedly hit with a 20-minute wave of destruction Credit: x 4 The city was burning after the relentless strikes Credit: Alamy Both deaths came in Ukraine 's second largest city, near to the town of Kupiansk, an area which has been under constant Russian attack for months. The victims were reportedly 67 and 69 years old. Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said at least 17 explosions were recorded in just 20 minutes. Chilling images show the night sky lit up after several buildings were directly impacted amd left up in flames. Advertisement Most read in World News Putin's evil forces are said to have knocked out power and water supplies across the country. The southeastern town of Kryvyi Rih and the capital Kyiv were also impacted. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defence units had gone into action but there were no reports of casualties. The latest attacks are set to anger Donald Trump even more after he imposed a strict peace ultimatum on Putin on Monday. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun He issued a blistering crackdown on Moscow as he Trump also said he is "very unhappy" with the despot over his incessant bombing of Ukrainian civilians. The US President also agreed to supply weapons to help Kyiv in the war in the hopes of driving Putin to the negotiating table. Putin defies Trump's ultimatum and BOMBARDS Ukraine – as Kremlin mouthpiece warns Russia will 'turn Kyiv into Hiroshima' He vowed to send weapons compromising of "everything" in his arsenal in order to Advertisement One of the proposed weapons which could be included in the package deal is America's joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM). A snarling Putin is yet to directly respond but the They mocked the deadline with sources saying they may now demand even more Ukrainian territory instead of laying down arms. Russia will instead keep terrorising Ukrainian civilians during the seven-week period instead of surrendering in any form, they added. Advertisement And within hours of Trump's tariff threat, they made good on that promise. Drones targeted a university in Sumy, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student, while a missile hit a medical facility in Shostka. In response, Ukraine launched its own drone blitz across southwest Russia , injuring civilians and damaging homes and industrial sites in Voronezh and Lipetsk. Advertisement 4 A drone attack targeted the administrative building of the FED company in Kharkiv Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
