A resident of Lahania, one of the communities on the Hawaiian island of Maui that was hardest hit by the wildfires that ripped across the island and left thousands of burned out homes and at least 100 dead in their wake, just tore into President Joe Biden in an interview.
Speaking about the situation and the Biden Administration’s feckless response to it, she said that Biden needs to “take his $700,” a reference to the aid amount Biden promised to those affected by the fires, and “get back on the f***ing planes.”
As reference, though FEMA and other emergency response groups have handed out more aid, President Biden promised $700 to those whose lives were upended by the fires, saying, “We’re laser-focused on getting aid to survivors, including Critical Needs Assistance: a one-time $700 payment per household offering relief during an unimaginably difficult time. We have staff on the ground dedicated to helping survivors navigate the registration process.”
Well, the Lanania resident interviewed, likely also mad about his Corvette comment, used that minuscule aid figure to put the president on notice and tell him to leave, while also drawing attention to her dire situation.
As you can hear, the woman, who lost her car, house, pets, medicine, and money, she described the bleak situation she and others are facing. She said, “Today, I haven’t had any money coming in. I haven’t had anybody call me back. I didn’t have anything. I have no idea. I lost my house. I lost my car. I lost my animals. I mean, come on, man. We’re not getting anything. Today. I still didn’t get my meds. I cannot get my meds yet. My med main medicine was in my house, my rent money was all burned in my house. I have no money anymore.”
Continuing, she tore into Joe Biden for handing money to Ukraine while Hawaiians suffer and get mere crumbs of much-needed aid, saying, “I think Joe Biden should take his $700 and get back on the fucking plane and go home. That’s what I think. The $700 compared to all the millions is given to Ukraine. Why we need it that’s why we don’t understand why we’re citizens and we cannot get money. But if they’re not citizens, they’re getting gazillions of dollars from the USA. Where’s our government? Fix your house before you fix somebody else’s house?”
The interview then asked if others were feeling the same way, asking the struggling woman, “This is how you like your community, other Hawaiians you know, locals indigenous peoples, [is it] how they feel? Pretty much everybody feels that way?”
She said that situations like this are why the community is tight, as they know no help is coming from outsiders like Slow Joe. “Come on. That’s why the local people stick together and we hope our own people because we know the outside people not gonna do it,” she said.
Watch that here:
An indigenous Lahaina local tells me she lost her house, pets, medicine and cash savings. She can't get a call back from FEMA and has yet to see any type of US aid relief.
She says Joe Biden should keep his insulting $700 because of the "gazillions" he's sending Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/FLNgMdemtq
— Jeremy Loffredo (@loffredojeremy) August 25, 2023
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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