The Future of Federal Disaster Response
What presidents from Bill Clinton on have frequently done in response to emergency disasters is 'find ways to connect with people on the ground' and 'show that they're not only going to bring resources from the federal government, but they understand their plight,' Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, said last night. 'And that's just not where Trump is. He is sometimes very good at mobilizing resources, but he is not good, I think, at connecting with people who are in pain.'
Although the president 'was more empathetic than we've seen him in the past,' Tarini Parti, a White House reporter at The Wall Street Journal, added, he was still looking to 'tout his administration's response.' Unlike other administrations, she continued, Trump has chosen to scale back his federal response, instead relying on state and local officials.
Joining Ashley Parker, a guest moderator and a staff writer at The Atlantic, to discuss this and more: Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a White House correspondent for The New York Times; Tarini Parti, a White House reporter at The Wall Street Journal; Nancy Youssef, a staff writer at The Atlantic; and Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times.
Watch the full episode here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
7 minutes ago
- The Hill
NASA slashing over 20 percent of workforce
NASA is slashing nearly more than 20 percent of its workforce as part of President Trump's efforts to downsize the federal government since returning to the White House. Nearly 4,000 workers have requested to depart the space agency through two rounds of the deferred resignation program. The deadline for the program was Friday at midnight. In the first round, about 870 employees have applied to leave and approximately another 3,000 workers did so in the second round — downsizing the workforce from 18,000 to around 14,000 people, NASA told The Hill's sister network NewsNation. The agency said the total number also includes the 500 workers who were lost due to normal attrition. 'Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organization and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,' a NASA spokesperson said in a statement. A budget proposal from the White House, released in May, would reduce NASA's overall budget by 24 percent. The topline number would drop from $24 billion to $18 billion. Over 360 NASA employees sent a letter to their employer earlier this month, urging them not to make deep cuts, warning it will have 'dire' consequences. 'We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety, scientific advancement, and efficient use of public resources,' the workers wrote. 'These cuts are arbitrary and have been enacted in defiance of congressional appropriations law.' The deferred resignation program was instituted throughout the federal government by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to help slash the size of the federal workforce and cut down on costs, waste, fraud and abuse. NASA also experienced turbulence earlier this year as the president's first pick for the agency's administrator, tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, was pulled in late May, days before he was set for a confirmation vote. Shortly after, Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk — who was the chief adviser for DOGE before he departed the White House — had a public falling out. Trump later tapped Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to be the interim NASA administrator, saying earlier this month that the former Wisconsin lawmaker is doing a 'TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country's Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again.'
The Hill
7 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump reignites feud with Newsom over California FireAid funds
President Trump has seemingly reignited his feud with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over proceeds from the California FireAid concert, arguing that $100 million in donations intended for Los Angeles residents who were affected by the January fires is 'missing.' ''FIREAID' IS A TOTAL DISASTER. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DEMOCRAT INSPIRED SCAM. 100 MILLION DOLLARS IS MISSING. WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE LOS ANGELES FIRE VICTIMS, FIRES THAT, WITH PROPER MANAGEMENT, WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN HAPPENED. GOVERNOR NEWSCUM REFUSED TO RELEASE BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST,' Trump wrote Friday evening on Truth Social. 'WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT WOULD HAVE MADE,' he added. FireAid was a one-night concert described as an event to raise money for residents that lost their homes during the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year. The fundraising concert featured stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, along with some victims of the Palisades and Altadena blazes. The distribution of the funds has come under scrutiny. FireAid raised around $100 million so far, according to the event's website. In a statement to the city's Fox affiliate, the charity said it does not 'have the capability to make direct payments to individuals and that was never the plan. We partnered directly with trusted local non-profits…to reach communities in need.' Actor Miles Teller said during the event that 'all the money raised will go directly to people who need it now and long-term efforts to build it back,' according to Fox News. Trump took a jab at Newsom, writing Friday evening that he has since 'OVERRULED HIM, AND IT IS NOW RELEASED.' 'All FEDERAL HOUSING PERMITS HAVE ALSO BEEN APPROVED, THE CITY IS YEARS LATE,' he said. 'GET THE FIRE VICTIMS THEIR APPROVALS TO REBUILD, AND DO IT NOW!' The president has repeatedly clashed with Newsom since beginning his second term, including hammering the governor over California's response to the Los Angeles County wildfires — while also threatening to hold back federal emergency funding. Before returning to the Oval Office, he specifically criticized Newsom for not signing a declaration to pump more water through the state to prevent the situation. More recently, the duo has sparred over Trump's robust immigration agenda as an uptick in raids and deportations has sparked protests throughout the Golden State and beyond. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) is now calling for an investigation into the distribution of funds to victims of the wildfires. 'We want people to understand that there's been a thoughtful process behind this, and our top priority was trying to do what people needed, and do what's best for fire survivors,' Lisa Cleri Reale, a member of FireAid's grant advisory committee, told The Los Angeles Times. The devastation from the wildfires was predicted to cost more than $50 billion.
Fox Sports
7 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Trump plays golfs in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit
Associated Press EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — President Donald Trump played golf Saturday at his course on Scotland's coast while protesters around the country took to the streets to decry his visit and accuse United Kingdom leaders of pandering to the American. Trump and his son Eric played with the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, near Turnberry, a historic course that the Trump family's company took over in 2008. Hundreds of protesters gathered on the cobblestone and tree-lined street in front of the U.S. Consulate about 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital. Speakers on a makeshift stage told the crowd that Trump was not welcome and they criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for striking a recent trade deal to avoid stiff U.S. tariffs on goods imported from the U.K. Protests were planned in other cities as environmental activists, opponents of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and pro-Ukraine groups loosely formed a 'Stop Trump Coalition." 'I think there are far too many countries that are feeling the pressure of Trump and that they feel that they have to accept him and we should not accept him here,' said June Osbourne, 52, a photographer and photo historian from Edinburgh who protested wearing a red cloak and white hood, recalling "The Handmaid's Tale." Osbourne held up picture of Trump with 'Resist' stamped over his face. The dual-U.S.-Scottish citizen said the Republican president was "the worst thing that has happened to the world, the U.S., in decades.' Saturday's protests were not nearly as large as the throngs that came out across Scotland when Trump played at the resort during his first term in 2018. But bagpipes played, people chanted 'Trump Out!' and raised homemade signs that said 'No red carpet for dictators," 'We don't want you here' and 'Stop Trump. Migrants welcome.' One dog had a sign that said 'No treats for tyrants.' Some on the far right took to social media to call for gatherings supporting Trump in places such as Glasgow. Upon arriving in Scotland on Friday night, Trump admonished European leaders for not cracking down on immigration. 'This immigration is killing Europe," he said. 'You better get your act together,' Trump said. 'You're not going to have Europe anymore.' While in Scotland, Trump is set to talk trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. But golf is a major focus. The Trumps will also visit another Trump course, in the Aberdeen area in northeastern Scotland. They plan to cut a ribbon on Tuesday, opening the second Trump course. The president has long lobbied for Turnberry to host the British Open, which it has not done since he took over ownership. 'There's no place like it,' he said Friday night. in this topic
