In the wake of the wildfires that wreaked havoc on Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui, former Democratic Representative from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard reportedly said President Joe Biden and other government officials need to mend the “huge deficit in trust.”
On Monday, during an appearance on Fox and Friends, Gabbard claimed that the government had abandoned the people of Maui and that it was now on to it to regain their trust.
“There’s a lack of trust because of the failure to communicate, the failure to provide services. The people in these surrounding communities have been faced with a situation where they had no power. They were told they couldn’t drink the water out of the faucet. Roadblocks were being put in place. So they had to turn to each other as a community to get food and to get the kind of immediate, basic support they needed. They didn’t see anybody from any level of the government for over a week after this catastrophe happened,” Gabbard stated.
“There is a huge deficit in trust. That trust needs to be rebuilt. The leaders, all the way from President Joe Biden down to the local level, need to be present, need to be there, and then need to act on what they’re hearing from their communities,” she added.
As the search and rescue operation in the fire-ravaged neighborhoods continues, Maui officials stated on Sunday night local time that 850 individuals are still listed as missing.
114 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the fire, but while search and rescue efforts continue, the death toll may rise.
The deadliest fire that have occurred in the US in the previous 100 years is the one on Maui.
On Monday, Biden is visiting Maui and is anticipated to meet with local politicians and witness the destruction firsthand.
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