President Trump arrived in Fort Myers at 10:30 a.m. Thursday just behind his first tweet of the day: "Am leaving now for Florida to see our GREAT first responders and to thank the U.S. Coast Guard, FEMA etc."
The president, with First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, met with Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Sen. Marco Rubio and FEMA administrator Brock Long on the airport tarmac before TV cameras. He later met with local officials and first responders in Fort Myers and Naples to hear of the impacts of Hurricane Irma firsthand.
He called the impacts a "real disaster" and said there's "much work do" but that Florida "will be rebuilt and will come back even better than before."
Trump thanked Gov. Scott for his work, saying he's doing an "incredible" job. "I hope this man right here, Rick Scott, runs for the Senate," he said.
Scott, in turn, returned the compliment, praising the president half a dozen times during his four-minute remarks for his support even while Irma was thousands of miles away. And he thanked the American people for their prayers, Floridians for their "great spirit," first responders, the military and "Florida officials up and down the state."
Irma's death toll in Florida rose to at least 25 by Wednesday morning. Of those killed were eight patients at a Hollywood nursing home who spent days in sweltering heat after Irma knocked out their air conditioning.
Some 2.5 million customers remain without power Thursday. Nevertheless, the president said he is convinced forward progress to restore power in Florida's 90-plus-degree weather is unprecedented.
"Historically, there's never been anything like this, but the U.S. Coast Guard, FEMA, working with Gov. Scott, they've really done an amazing job, power is turning on rapidly," said Mr. Trump.
He added, "we have the largest assembling of human beings ever for power and rapidly it's being turned on, so we're very happy with that."
Hardest hit were the Florida Keys, where Irma roared in as a Category 4 storm. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates 25 percent of homes in the Keys were destroyed. Trump had said Wednesday it was too early to visit the Keys while workers were struggling to establish recovery sites there. "We would be in the way," he said.
The president had made a stop last week in Texas similar to Thursday's in Southwest Florida. In Texas, Hurricane Harvey had left the Houston area deluged by rising flood waters. While Trump did not see any damage caused by Harvey, he met with victims who were forced into shelters during the storm.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
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Comments
Thank you President Trump and
This ain't a commercial.
You mean his campaign events?
Educate yourself, as most of