When a group of firefighters and first responders in Kerrville, Texas, were greeted by the president and first lady following the devastating flooding, every single one took their hat off for Melania in a heartfelt display of respect. She responded to them all with poise and kindness, shaking each one’s hand alongside the president.
For background, over the weekend of July 4, 2025, flash flooding caused the Guadalupe River to rise over 30 feet in under an hour, leading to over 80 confirmed deaths and dozens still missing. In response, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited Central Texas on July 11 to support the affected communities.
A heartfelt video of Melania being greeted by a group of deeply respectful firefighters went viral online after it was posted by conservative commentator Benny Johnson, who wrote, “Incredible. Every firefighter greeting Trump proceeded to take their hat off for Melania.” An X user named Tim replied, “Texans know how to show respect to women. It is good to see true gentlemen still exist.”
Moreover, a slew of additional commenters poured out their support for the president, first lady, and respectful first responders. The X user Melania G. wrote, “That’s called being a gentleman. Years ago, all men would do this, nationwide. Now it’s only Texans & Southerners that know how to show respect towards a lady.” Another commenter chimed in, “Pure class & respect for women.”
In addition, Melania and President Trump spoke at a roundtable on July 11 in response to the devastation. At the roundtable, Melania addressed those affected, saying, “My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls. Deepest sympathy from all of us to the community, to everybody who lost a loved one.” She added, “We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you.”
Next, Melania said that she and the president had “just met with the wonderful families” touched by the flooding, saying, “We prayed with them, we hugged, we held hands.” She added, “They shared their stories. And I met beautiful young ladies. They gave me this special bracelet from the camp in honor of all of the little girls that lost their lives.”
Continuing, Melania held up a bracelet presented to her by survivors of the flooding, which took the lives of a group of campers and counselors at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp situated in the area most affected by the flooding. She added, “So we are here to honor them and also to give the [supporters] help. And I will be back, I promise them, and I just pray for them and give them my strength and love.”
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Additionally, President Trump expressed his heartfelt sympathy for those affected by the flooding, saying, “We just visited with incredible families that — I mean, look, they’ve been devastated.” He added, “The first lady and I are here in Texas to express the love and support and the anguish of our entire nation in the aftermath of this really horrific and deadly flood.”
Watch the firefighters tip their hats to Melania:
Incredible. Every firefighter greeting Trump proceeded to take their hat off for Melania
pic.twitter.com/cUVWBKPfHZ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 11, 2025
Featured image credit: video screengrab