Trump plans to visit Texas on Tuesday

Rescue boat drives over a road in Houston

(Image credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 28 August 2017

President Trump plans to visit Texas on Tuesday, when rain is still expected to be falling on hurricane-ravaged Houston and other parts of South and Central Texas, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Sunday evening. "We are coordinating logistics with state and local officials, and once details are finalized, we will let you know," she told reporters, adding, "We continue to keep all of those affected in our thoughts and prayers." Trump returned to the White House from Camp David on Sunday, after sending off some tweets praising the response to Harvey, now a tropical storm.

Sanders did not say where Trump will go in Texas or any other details, and "the timing of a presidential visit, as the disaster was still unfolding, could put Mr. Trump in an awkward position of adding to the logistical headaches for state officials," unless he avoids the affected parts of the state, The New York Times reports. "But his Twitter feed and the photos and statements released by the White House indicated that Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath had energized Mr. Trump, giving him the first major external crisis of a presidency that has manufactured most of its own upheavals."

Harvey is essentially hovering over Houston, moving northeast toward the city at 3 miles per hour; it dumped more than 25 inches on some parts of Houston and Galveston over 48 hours, and is expected to drop another 15 to 25 inches through Friday, meaning some parts of the Houston-Galveston area will get 50 inches of rainfall. Local officials said boats have rescued several thousand people trapped in or on top of flooded homes. FEMA said it expects to be helping Houston and surrounding areas recover from Harvey for years to come.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.