“It’s a dereliction of duty,” Mike Huckabee said. | AP Photo Obama hammered over Louisiana flood response

President Barack Obama has faced no shortage of criticism for continuing his vacation and golfing on Martha's Vineyard while some 1,600 miles away, people in Louisiana cope with the worst natural disaster in the United States since Hurricane Sandy.

Mike Huckabee laced into Obama as “disgraceful” on Friday for failing to travel to Louisiana in the wake of the state's devastating recent flooding, contrasting him unfavorably to Bill Clinton in similar situations as commander in chief.


“It’s a dereliction of duty,” Huckabee said on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria.” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson visited areas affected by the flooding on Thursday, while Obama has remained on vacation on Martha's Vineyard for the past two weeks.

The former Republican governor and presidential candidate made clear that his criticism “isn't about politics,” complimenting fellow Arkansan Bill Clinton, who he said “was the best at showing up for things like this.”

“And he showed a level of compassion,” Huckabee said of the 42nd president. “He represents the heart of America.”





The White House announced Friday afternoon that Obama will visit Baton Rouge on Tuesday, with press secretary Josh Earnest explaining why Obama hasn't traveled to the state already.

“The President is mindful of the impact that his travel has on first responders and wants to ensure that his presence does not interfere with ongoing recovery efforts,” Earnest said in a statement. “He is also eager to get a first-hand look at the impact of the devastating floods, hear from more officials about the response, including how the federal government can assist and tell the people of Louisiana that the American people will be with them as they rebuild their community and come back stronger than ever.”

Both Donald Trump and Mike Pence traveled to Louisiana earlier Friday to visit those affected by the natural disaster.

"The president says he doesn’t want to come, he is trying to get out of a golf game," Trump told volunteers at a church in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, according to ABC News.

But Huckabee expressed doubt that Hillary Clinton would follow suit in going to Louisiana, “because now that Donald Trump has gone, it’ll look like a ‘me, too’ rather than a real initiative.”

At a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, Trump expressed sympathy for the victims of the flooding.

“Our prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones, and we send them our deepest condolences,” Trump said. “Though words cannot express the sadness one feels at times like this, I hope everyone in Louisiana knows that our country is praying for them and standing with them to help them in these difficult hours.”

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday sent a tweet linking to a Red Cross donation page.

“Closely monitoring the flooding in Louisiana & Mississippi,” Clinton wrote. “The @RedCross is helping displaced families in need.”

The former secretary of state issued a statement Friday, writing that she had just gotten off the phone with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.

"The flooding there is bigger than anyone expected—more than 40,000 homes have been damaged and more than 100,000 people have been affected.My heart breaks for Louisiana, and right now, the relief effort can't afford any distractions. The very best way this team can help is to make sure Louisianans have the resources they need," Clinton wrote in a Facebook post that shared links to the Red Cross and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. She added, "These are our friends, our family members, our community—and they’re counting on us to reach out with open arms right now. This team has done so much for me. Now I’m asking you to show that same support to the victims in Louisiana, so that we can begin to rebuild together."

Baton Rouge's The Advocate newspaper unloaded on Obama with an editorial published Thursday night, drawing a historical comparison to George W. Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina.

"Sometimes, presidential visits can get in the way of emergency response, doing more harm than good," the editorial said. "But we don’t see that as a factor now that flood waters are subsiding, even if at an agonizing pace. It’s past time for the president to pay a personal visit, showing his solidarity with suffering Americans."

The Advocate called the "optics of Obama golfing while Louisiana residents languished in flood waters was striking" and evocative of "the precedent of the passive federal response to the state’s agony in 2005, a chapter of history no one should ever repeat."

While giving credit to the White House for promptly declaring the flooded part of the state a disaster area in order to receive federal aid, Louisiana's largest daily newspaper called on Obama to "pack his bags now."

But Edwards, a Democrat, brushed aside criticism of Obama being on vacation during the floods.

"I don't feel forgotten by the federal government," Edwards told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Thursday night, adding that he would prefer Obama wait at least a week to visit. "We have what we need from the federal government."