As Hurricane Michael continued to barge its way inland overnight, the White House said President Donald Trump would visit areas damaged by the storm early next week, as the President expressed confidence that his administration would be able to deal with the needs of damaged communities in Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
"We have massive amounts of food and water that gets brought in immediately as it's leaving. I mean, literally, we follow it right in," the President told reporters after getting a briefing from FEMA officials on the progress of the storm.
"It's one of the biggest storms to ever hit our country," he added. "It's almost like a big - it's like a big tornado, a massive tornado."
"We will spare no expense, no effort, no resource," the President said, promising to help those hit by Michael.
"We will always pull through," Mr. Trump added.
Last month when Hurricane Florence took aim at the Carolinas, the President scrapped a pair of campaign rallies in order to stay focused on the storm at the White House - but this time, he went ahead with a rally in Pennsylvania on Wednesday evening.
"I can't tell thousands of people that have been waiting - some of whom got there literally last night, in order to be and get into an arena at 7 o'clock - it's hard to tell them, 'By the way, you've been waiting all day. Go home,'" the President said, expressing confidence in the federal emergency response.
"We have our people ready. We are really ready in Florida, and, frankly, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina. We're very ready," the President added. "And I think it'll be just fine."
But that was a different tune than one the President had been singing back in 2012, when he went on Twitter to criticize then-President Barack Obama for campaigning in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
The President began his rally in Pennsylvania by offering his "thoughts and prayers" to those in the path of the storm.
"I'll be traveling to Florida very, very shortly, and I just want to wish them all the best," Mr. Trump said.
"God speed. God speed."
About the Author
