South Florida media were unsuccessful Friday putting President Donald Trump on the defensive over underfunding the massive Herbert Hoover Dike-repair project.
The president took control of the agenda during his visit to the crumbling 143-mile earthen dike at Canal Point, and he never relinquished it.
Appearing with Florida's top political leaders -- Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott -- Trump kept his Everglades comments upbeat and vague.
Despite the joint request of Florida leaders for $200 million to speed up dike improvements, the Administration only put $63 million in Trump's budget for the project.
The president said the project is "important in terms of safety," and touted the joint efforts of federal and state authorities as "a great project for Florida. ...
"This project was dying until we got involved," Trump said. "We are making it stronger than it would have ever been."
Pressed on the need for more funding, he said, "It's coming soon. And a lot more than you would ever believe. ..."
Meanwhile, Everglades farmers, in a statement by the group EAA Farmers, Inc., thanked Trump for his "commitment to infrastructure and environmental funding."
“We thank President Trump for visiting our farming region and committing to funding repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike, which are imperative to ensure the safety of all those who live in the farming communities south of Lake Okeechobee," said group spokesperson Danielle Alvarez. "A fortified dike will also allow more water to be held in Lake Okeechobee rather than being discharged to tide.
“Additionally, because the collaboration between state and federal partners in Everglades restoration has been a tremendous success south of Lake Okeechobee, where more than 90 percent of the southern Everglades has been restored, we urge leaders to fund plans that will now solve water quantity and quality problems at their source, north of Lake Okeechobee, to preserve and protect the lake and the entire Everglades watershed.”
The Trump administration has pledged to expedite completion of dike repairs, spearheaded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, by 2022.
"President Trump is visiting Florida on Friday because he understands that these investments are vital to minimizing potential impacts, including harmful algae blooms, and improving water quality during rainy seasons in the years ahead," the White House said in a statement.
But, mostly during his visit to the lake rim Friday, the president focused on the Mexican border when addressing reporters. He was continuing on from an early-morning Twitter comment threatening to close the U.S. border with Mexico or "large sections" of it as early as "next week" if Mexico doesn’t immediately stop all illegal immigration flooding north.
Arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border have jumped in recent months and earlier this week Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said he was reassigning 750 border inspectors from their usual duties at ports of entry to help keep pace with arrivals across America's southern border. A senior Department of Homeland Security official told The Wall Street Journal Trump was stating his intention to close some ports of entry, if necessary.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith.
