White House backs off Trump assertion of Harvey storm-watcher rescues

Rescue boats work along Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway helping to evacuate people Monday, August 28, 2017 in Houston. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey. Rescue boats work along Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway helping to evacuate people Monday, August 28, 2017 in Houston. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey. Photo: Melissa Phillip Photo: Melissa Phillip Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close White House backs off Trump assertion of Harvey storm-watcher rescues 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON – The White House on Friday walked back President Donald Trump's suggestion earlier this week that a large number of water rescues during Hurricane Harvey were for people in Texas taking their boats out to watch the storm roll in.

White House officials and first responders in Texas, including the U.S. Coast Guard, have not been able to document any cases that would substantiate Trump's assertion. That has riled local officials and seemed to counter the popular perception of civilian heroism, symbolized by the role of the "Cajun Navy."

Asked for the basis of Trump's remarks, White House media affairs director Helen Ferre limited her response to the president's appreciation for the civilian outpouring during Harvey.

EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT?: Trump says many Texans watched Harvey from their boats, requiring Coast Guard rescue

"The President is aware that the great people of Houston worked together to help each other," Ferre said. "Some went out in their boats to save others who were trapped in their homes and ultimately needed assistance by authorities. The great community spirit demonstrated by the good people of Houston is heralded by this administration."

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle President Donald Trump waves as he walks out of the United States...

The president's remarks came as he sought to praise the Coast Guard's heroics during a hurricane briefing Wednesday for state and federal emergency managers:

"Saved 16,000 people, many of them in Texas, for whatever reason that is. People went out in their boats to watch the hurricane," Trump said. "That didn't work out too well. That didn't work out to well."

The comment prompted a strong public reaction on social media and among local officials in Texas, including a strong rebuke from San Antonio Republican Joe Straus, the Speaker of the Texas House.

'THEY WERE HEROES': Texas GOP speaker splits with Trump over Harvey comments

"The people who took their boats into the water during Harvey were not storm-watchers," Straus said Thursday on Twitter, in a post that went viral on the Internet. "They were heroes who went toward danger to rescue friends, neighbors, strangers. Texans helping Texans in a time of desperate need."

The people who took their boats into the water during Harvey were not storm-watchers. They were heroes who went toward danger to rescue friends, neighbors, strangers. Texans helping Texans in a time of desperate need. #txlege https://t.co/6jQ9YElAAT — Joe Straus (@SpeakerStraus) June 7, 2018

Ferre offered only statistics on the number of government water rescues last year.

"The 16,000 people the President was referring to were those saved thanks to the heroic efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard," Ferre said. "In last year's hurricane season, the U.S. Coast Guard saved almost 12,000 lives and in addition to that, nearly 9,000 were saved by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) search and rescue teams."

Coast Guard officials in Houston said Friday they did not take note of how people got stranded and had no numbers to corroborate Trump's assertion about storm watchers in peril during the Category 4 storm.

GRAY MATTERS: I downloaded an app. And suddenly, was part of the Cajun Navy.

"There's none to my knowledge," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Edward Wargo, "But during that massive event, we were not really taking note of how people got stranded. We were just getting out there, rescuing them, getting them to safer ground."

As Harvey approached the Texas coast last August, the Coast Guard warned boaters off the water. Throughout the storm, which dumped 50 inches of rain on Houston and left much of the city swamped, the agency reported it rescued more than 11,000 people, including from some commercial vessels. Many more were rescued by local authorities or civilian volunteers who were called out by the Houston police.

Photo: Melissa Phillip Chad Smith, a Task Force One member from the Dallas Fire Dept.,...

Wargo said he not heard anecdotal reports of rescues matching Trump's description of people "out on their boats to watch the hurricane."

"Honestly, I didn't hear any reports of anything like that," he said. "There may be reports out there, but none that came across my desk, and none that I publicly know of."

FACT CHECK: Trump's wild tale of Texas hurricane gawkers

"The overlaying reason for the rescues during that time period was due to the hurricane," Wargo added. "Everything was due to the hurricane. That was the blanket reason for everyone needed to be rescued. But specifically, why people needed to be rescued, that was never gone in to. It was just such a massive event, that it was just like, 'Oh, Hurricane Harvey's here, the Coast needs to respond quickly and effectively, let's go.' And they rescued whoever needed to be rescued."

Local and state officials also have been unable to document Trump's remarks. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican ally of Trump, told reporters after the president's briefing that he had "no information one way or the other about that."

The Texas Democratic Party's nominees for the state's two top offices chastised Republican leaders for what they say was a tepid response to Trump's inaccurate comments about Hurricane Harvey rescuers.

During a visit to Pinkerton's Barbecue on Friday afternoon, gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez said Abbott failed to forcefully refute the president.

"The heck with Trump... what are you doing taking care of somebody else?" Valdez said of Abbott. "Take care of your own people."

Valdez said many Texans acted heroically during Harvey, leaving their families to help rescue their neighbors whose homes flooded. Her running mate, lieutenant governor hopeful Mike Collier, a Houstonian, echoed her comments.

"I saw these people risk their lives. I saw what danger they put themselves through," Collier said.

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Staff writer Zach Despart contributed to this report.

Kevin Diaz is the Chronicle's Washington Bureau Chief, covering issues important to Texas from the White House, the Supreme Court and Capitol Hill. Follow him on twitter at @DiazChron and send him tips at Kevin.Diaz@chron.com.



