Joe Biden Defends Maui Fire Response Amid Fierce Backlash Ahead of Visit

President Joe Biden has defended the federal response to the devastating and deadly wildfires that tore across the Hawaiian island of Maui ahead of a visit there on Monday to survey the ongoing recovery efforts.

In a statement released by the White House on Sunday, Biden pledged to do "everything in my power to help Maui recover" and noted the more than a thousand federal emergency personnel currently on the ground on the island, including 450 search and rescue workers.

The remarks and trip come after the president faced fierce criticism over his handling of the disaster. He was subject to outrage after not explicitly committing to visit Maui in a speech last week, after what some saw as a dismissive response to the death toll on the island while staying at his Delaware beach house.

Meanwhile, his announcement that affected households in Maui would be eligible for a one-off $700 payment on August 14 was also described as "insulting" by detractors.

Large bush fires on Maui have taken the lives of 114 people, according to the latest update from the island's police force, with 85 percent of the affected regions searched. Around 27 of those have been identified—many of the victims announced so far being of older age.

The wildfires caused power outages, mass evacuations and extensive destruction to the historic resort town of Lahaina. The fires broke out earlier in August and spread rapidly on powerful winds from a passing hurricane.

In the latest update, County of Maui officials said that the fire around Lahaina—which spanned an estimated 2,170 acres—was 90 percent contained, while two others, of over a thousand acres and 200 acres respectively, were 85 percent under control. A further blaze is now entirely contained.

"My heart, my prayers, and my focus are on the victims of the Maui wildfires and their families," Biden stated on Sunday. "I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life," he said, in an apparent reference to the deaths of his first wife and a daughter in a car crash and later the death of one of his sons to cancer.

"I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy," Biden added. "And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions."

After largely specious comparisons were made between the seemingly paltry sums of aid appropriated for the recovery effort in Maui and the more than $100 billion in aid to Ukraine, the White House noted that the Biden administration had approved over $8 million in assistance to nearly 2,500 households on the Hawaiian island—which included $3 million for renting temporary accommodation.

It also said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had shipped in around 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water and 10,000 blankets for survivors, around half of whom were still in evacuation shelters as of Thursday.

Alongside FEMA responders, hundreds of personnel from numerous federal departments have been deployed, including from the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as U.S. Army engineers.

In his statement, Biden stressed that he had signed a disaster declaration "as soon as Governor [Josh] Green requested" one, and said his administration "has mobilized a whole-of-government response effort" to the wildfires.

The White House had announced Biden's visit to Maui on Wednesday, after expressing caution about getting "in the way" of the recovery efforts in a speech the day prior. He and first lady Jill Biden are expected to arrive on Maui at 5:10 p.m. ET (11:10 a.m. in Hawaii) before leaving later the same day.

"Jill and I are eager to meet with the brave first responders in Lahaina tomorrow, to spend time with families and community members, and witness first-hand what will be required for the community to recover," Biden said.

Newsweek approached the White House via email for further comment on Monday.