Longtime Trump foe Rosie O’Donnell believes his administration is to blame for the catastrophic flash floods that have ravaged central Texas.
In a video posted to TikTok, O’Donnell claimed that Trump’s policies have put the country in harm’s way, pointing to the recent devastation along the Guadalupe River, where water levels surged 26 feet in under an hour.
“What a horror story in Texas,” O’Donnell began. “The flash floods in Texas, the Guadalupe River, 51 missing — 51 dead, more missing, children at a camp.”
“And, you know, when the President guts all of the early warning systems and the weathering forecast abilities of the government, these are the results that we’re going to start to see on a daily basis,” the recent ex-pat claimed.
Rosie O’Donnell wrongly blames President Trump making cuts to the weather service for the loss of life during the Texas floods.
In reality, the National Weather Service office that services the affected areas had EXTRA STAFF during the storms.
All Democrats do is lie. pic.twitter.com/P4ULS0TUPC
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 6, 2025
“Because he’s put this country in so much danger by his horrible, horrible decisions and this ridiculously immoral bill that he just signed into law,” O’Donnell insisted despite fleeing the U.S. for Ireland.
“Shame on him,” she continued. “Shame on every GOP sycophant who’s listening and following the disastrous decisions of this mentally incapacitated POTUS.”
O’Donnell’s comments, along with those of other critics, drew immediate backlash from White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson, who accused Democrats of spreading misinformation.
Chris Martz, meteorologist: "NOAA’s National Weather Service office in Austin / San Antonio issued a flood watch over 12 hours before the flood, and a flash flood warning THREE hours in advance."https://t.co/BveLIdn6OK
— Abigail Jackson (@ATJackson47) July 6, 2025
“I have seen many uninformed Democrats shamefully spreading Fake News about Texas, so let’s get the facts straight,” Jackson wrote in a tweet.
Jackson pointed to reports from several meteorologists confirming that the National Weather Service had followed all emergency protocols during the event.
Jason Runyen, a meteorologist based in New Braunfels, noted that the NWS was fully staffed in anticipation of the storm.
“There were extra people in here that night, and that’s typical in every weather service office — you staff up for an event and bring people in on overtime and hold people over,” Runyen said.
In the wake of the tragedy, Trump moved quickly to provide aid to the affected areas.
Meteorologist in Austin, Texas:
“The National Weather Service did their job and they did it well”
Anyone using dead girls as some kind of political attack against Trump is evil and twisted. pic.twitter.com/CcKcdoD2fn
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 6, 2025
On Sunday, the president announced via Truth Social that he had signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County.
“I just signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Kerr County, Texas, to ensure that our Brave First Responders immediately have the resources they need,” Trump posted.
“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” the post continued.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 6, 2025
“The Trump Administration continues to work closely with State and Local Leaders. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was on the ground yesterday with Governor Greg Abbott, who is working hard to help the people of his Great State.”
“Our incredible U.S. Coast Guard, together with State First Responders, have saved more than 850 lives,” he lauded first responders. “GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!”
Trump also signaled plans to travel to Texas, likely by Friday, to survey the damage firsthand and meet with local officials.
“We wanted to leave a little time. I would’ve done it today, but we’d just be in their way,” the president told reporters.
“We’ll continue to be there,” he added. “And we’re working very closely with representatives from Texas, and it’s a horrible thing that took place, absolutely horrible.”
When asked about FEMA’s role, Trump said, “FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now, they’re busy working, so we’ll leave it at that.”
.@POTUS says he plans to visit Texas later this week:
"Probably on Friday. We wanted to leave a little time. I would've done it today, but we'd just be in their way — probably Friday." pic.twitter.com/LK13OiCXRI
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 6, 2025
As of Sunday, the confirmed death toll stood at 80, with 68 fatalities reported in Kerr County alone. Authorities confirmed that 28 of those killed were children.
Texas native and actor Matthew McConaughey called for unity and support in a post on X, writing, “At least 70 lives have been lost, many more are unaccounted for, and countless Texans are hurting – inside and out.”
“If you’re able, please lend a helping hand where and how you can. It’s gonna be a long road ahead, but right now the shock, the pain, and the chaos need the steady hand of a neighbor.”
— Matthew McConaughey (@McConaughey) July 6, 2025
“Texans are some of the most resilient and generous people on the planet,” he concluded.
Local professional sports organizations have also stepped in to assist. Both the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans pledged $500,000 each toward relief efforts.
The NFL Foundation matched their combined donation, bringing the total to $1.5 million for Texas flood victims.