Melania Trump to Texas Flood Victims: ‘I Will Be Back’
The president and first lady visit with victims and families in flood-ravaged Central Texas.
First Lady Melania Trump accompanied her husband President Trump on Friday to the flash-flood devastated region of Kerr County, Texas, to meet with victims while search and recovery crews continued efforts to find about 170 people still unaccounted for. The Trumps also met with residents mourning those lost in the catastrophe. The flooding left more than 120 people dead.
During a roundtable gathering of local, state and federal officials the president made a statement expressing his sympathies to the community while praising local leaders in the area along the Guadalupe River in Central Texas for their response.
“All across the country people’s hearts are shattered,” the president said, who later added, “We’ll all work together to find out what can be done.”
The first lady—wearing a black baseball cap, khaki-colored jacket and monochromatic army green pants and top—was introduced by her husband and made a rare statement about the people affected by the disaster, specifically the young girls and people from Camp Mystic, the Christian residential summer camp where 27 people were still missing.
“We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you. We just met with the wonderful families. We pray with them, we hug, we hold hands,” Mrs. Trump said. “They share the stories. And I met beautiful young ladies.”
The first lady held up her left hand and gestured to a bracelet given to her by Camp Mystic.
“They gave me this special bracelet from the camp in honor of all the little girls that lost their lives. So we are here to honor them, and also to give the support, help and I will be back. I promise to them, and I just pray for them and giving them my strength and love.”
The flood was categorized by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, as a one-in-one-thousand-year-flood. About 2,200 state agencies were deployed to the area and more than 12,300 volunteers have also converged on the area to assist in the efforts, officials said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) declared they would rebuild, but rebuild in “a better way.” The flash flood that took place on July 4, is part of the geography of the Hill Country where local officials over the years have routinely sought out grants specifically to install an emergency alert system, but their requests were denied and cost was at issue.
When the president opened up the roundtable for questions from reporters, a question was asked about the timeliness of the weather alerts to which Mr. Trump said “only a very evil person” would ask that question of the response to the flooding. The national press was largely kept out of the roundtable, but multiple pro-Trump influencers were allowed to attend and ask questions, The New York Times reported.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who was also in attendance at the roundtable, described a horrific scene inside the cabin that housed the “littlest girls.” He said the water rose eight feet high and “blew the windows out of the cabin and it swept those girls out.”
The first lady and the president arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, before traveling to Kerrville, Texas, to survey the damage.
The Weekly Wrap
The Weekly Wrap is a collection of headlines from the past week. Some publications have paywalls.
Chicago Sun-Times
Barack and Michelle Obama Team Up With Larry David on HBO U.S. History Sketch Show for the Nation’s 250th
July 10, 2025 — Larry David will bring his grumbly sensibility to U.S. history in a team-up with Barack and Michelle Obama for an HBO sketch show, the network announced Thursday. Read more
East Wing Magazine
Melania Trump and the President to Travel to Flooded Areas of Texas
July 9, 2025 — First Lady Melania Trump and the president will travel to flood-affected areas in Texas on Friday, the White House said Wednesday, days after the natural disaster has claimed more than 100 lives and with more than 160 people believed still to be missing. Read more
The New York Times
Court Overturns Conviction for Memes That Sought to Trick Clinton Voters
July 9, 2025 — Douglass Mackey’s posts in 2016 falsely advertised text voting for Hillary Clinton. Appeals court judges said prosecutors had not shown that his actions were part of a conspiracy. Read more
USA Today
Michelle Obama Says She Feels ‘Completely Free’ for the First Time
July 9, 2025 — Michelle Obama made a surprising admission on her “IMO” podcast July 9. The former first lady, more outspoken than ever in recent months, took to her hit show to discuss her friendships and this season of change in her life. Read more
FOX News
New Book Exposes Jill Biden’s Power Grab Amid Husband’s Political Demise
July 8, 2025 — First Lady Jill Biden’s political rise coincided with the end of her husband’s political career, according to a new book about how President Joe Biden lost the White House. Read more
East Wing Magazine
David Lee Is at Home at the National First Ladies Library & Museum
July 7, 2025 — On Independence Day eve there was a flurry of activity on the Canton, Ohio-based National First Ladies Library & Museum campus with visitors touring the museum building and adjacent historic home of Ida Saxton McKinley, a former first lady (1897 to 1901) married to former President William McKinley who was assassinated in 1901. Over the Fourth of July holiday the site stayed open. Read more
CBS
Barron Trump Has New Girlfriend, Described as ‘Ladies’ Man’ During 1st Year at NYU
July 7, 2025 — President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron, wrapped up his first year of college this spring—and was described as being both a “ladies’ man” and an “oddity.” That’s according to a few reports, which also indicate he has a new girlfriend. Read more
The Hill’s Rising
Joy Reid Says Melania Trump Could Be Deported Under Potential New ‘Naturalization’ Rules
July 7, 2025 — Robby Soave and Niall Stanage discuss The View’s co-host Joy Reid suggesting that First Lady Melania Trump could be deported under President Trump’s latest denaturalization threats. View here
Women’s Wear Daily
Melania Trump’s Manolo Blahnik Pumps Take Center Stage at White House Independence Day Celebration
July 5, 2025 — First Lady Melania Trump made a stylish appearance at the White House on Friday in a pair of Manolo Blahnik snake red pumps. Celebrating Independence Day alongside President Donald Trump, the couple watched B-2 Spirit stealth bombers perform a military flyover during a Fourth of July celebration from the Blue Room balcony of the White House, and for the occasion, Melania opted for a pair of the Manolo Blahnik BB 105 Snake Red pumps, which feature a colorful red and white striped design. Read more