A Gulf Coast governor hit back at President Joe Biden for attempts to politicize Hurricane Beryl, even hinting the 81-year-old chief executive’s actions and words might be due to an apparent mental decline.
On Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reported that Biden said a federal government response to the destruction of Beryl had to be delayed. The president claimed the wait was the result of his administration’s failed attempts at reaching Texas Gov. Greg Abbott or other leaders in the state.
These leaders must declare a major disaster for funds and supplies to be released.
“I’ve been trying to track down the governor to see,” Biden told the Chronicle. “I don’t have any authority to do that without a specific request from the governor.”
Abbott is currently in Asia, leaving Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as the acting governor. Both Republican leaders were quick to call out the president on his claims.
“Last night, the [Houston Chronicle] reporter, who wrote the story with Biden’s lie, that he couldn’t find me or Gov. Abbott, asked for the state call log of my conversation with the president,” Patrick wrote on X.
“We sent them the log,” he said. “The log showed only a 3 minute call from President Biden to [Texas Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd]. Chief Kidd was sitting next to me as we waited for the president’s call. I spoke to the president from 11:49 a.m. to 11:52 a.m. on Chief Kidd’s phone.”
Patrick said Biden has Abbott’s number but the traveling governor also never received a call.
“To suggest that the president could not find me or the governor is ridiculous,” he wrote. “The bottom line is this: I asked for a federal disaster declaration at the proper time without delay and the president agreed.”
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Last night, the @HoustonChron reporter, who wrote the story with Biden’s lie, that he couldn’t find me or Gov. Abbott, asked for the state call log of my conversation with the president. We sent them the log.
The log showed only a 3… https://t.co/NZP76CrOE2
— Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) July 10, 2024
The Lone Star State’s governor also joined the fray, pointing to an apparent decline in Biden’s mental capabilities as a reason for the claims about his hurricane response.
“Biden’s memory fails again,” Abbott wrote on X.
“Not once did he call me during Beryl,” he said. “He has my number & called me on Memorial Day after tornadoes hit Texas.
“I’ve had daily calls with state & local officials during Beryl. I spoke with FEMA Admin while on our trade mission but Biden never called.”
Biden’s memory fails again.
Not once did he call me during Beryl.
He has my number & called me on Memorial Day after tornadoes hit Texas.
I’ve had daily calls with state & local officials during Beryl.
I spoke with FEMA Admin while on our trade mission but Biden never called.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 9, 2024
The Chronicle updated its article to remove a line attributed to a White House representative claiming “officials tried to reach Abbott and Patrick multiple times.”
Will Biden continue his 2024 campaign?
An archived version of the article still has the line.
“This story was updated Tuesday evening to include responses from the governor and lieutenant governor and to add information about the process for requesting federal disaster aid,” a note on the new version said.
Biden’s apparent politicization of Beryl came at the expense of some 1.7 million people who were deprived of electricity and other utilities by the storm.
The alternate explanation is not much better. If the president is not cruelly playing politics with disaster relief supplies and truly believes he has not spoken to Texan leaders, this further hints that he is suffering a debilitating mental decline.
Biden’s dismal performance at the first presidential debate in June pushed concerns over his mental health into the open. Now, even powerful Democratic players and donors are publicly discussing Biden’s decline.
