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Biden pledges to go to fire-hit Hawaii as soon as possible

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Agence France-Presse

<p>MILWAUKEE, United States - US President Joe Biden said Tuesday he would travel to Hawaii -- scene of the country&#x27;s deadliest wildfires in a century -- as soon as possible to survey the damage and comfort survivors.</p><p>The 80-year-old Democrat, who was speaking during a visit to a factory in Wisconsin, dedicated the start of his speech to the situation in Hawaii, where at least 99 people have died in the blazes on the island of Maui.</p><p>&quot;My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can,&quot; Biden said, noting that he did not want to &quot;get in the way&quot; of relief efforts.</p><p>Any presidential trip is a complicated operation in terms of logistics and security, requiring multiple local agencies to cooperate -- and potentially taking manpower away from the situation at hand.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/08/14/23/mga-pinoy-na-sapul-ng-hawaii-wildfires-problemado">Mga Pinoy na sapul ng Hawaii wildfires problemado kung paano makakabangon</a></li></ul><p>Biden, who quickly declared a &quot;major disaster&quot; in Hawaii, unblocking federal aid funds, said he had spoken multiple times with Hawaii Governor Josh Green.</p><p>&quot;That&#x27;s a fancy word of saying whatever you need, you&#x27;re going to get,&quot; said Biden, who has been criticized by his Republican opponents for a response they have deemed insufficient.</p><div><strong>aue/sst/bfm</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

US President Joe Biden said Tuesday he would travel to Hawaii -- scene of the country's deadliest wildfires in a century -- as soon as possible to survey the damage and comfort survivors.