As the force of Hurricane Matthew bears down on the state of Florida, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump issued a statement to those in its path.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the path of Hurricane Matthew, namely in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, and we encourage everyone to listen to their governors and local emergency officials urging the evacuations of at-risk coastal communities,” Trump said in a statement released by his campaign on Thursday.
“These warnings are very, very serious — if your home is in the path of the hurricane and you are being advised to leave, you need to do so right now. Nothing is more important than the safety of your family,” the statement continued.
Trump also extended his personal condolences to the those families in Haiti who had lost loved ones as the hurricane swept across the island. He also said that the news of possibly more than a hundred Haitians feared dead was saddening, adding that the U S “should offer our assistance to help our island neighbors.”
“Please stay safe,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency for Florida on Thursday and ordered federal aid to supplement state funds. And that’s about all he did.
Hurricane Matthew backed away from an immediate landfall on Thursday night, and experts were suggesting the storm might not come fully ashore before looping out into the Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center downgraded Matthew to a Category 3, with top sustained winds of 120 mph.
The storm was still very dangerous and everyone is its path should take necessary precautions, as Trump pointed out.
Trump’s statement and concern revealed what kind of leader he would be. He expressed a similar concern whenfloods ravaged Louisiana in August. While Obama’s golf game couldn’t be interrupted, Trump flew to the sceneand lent a helping hand.
H/T The Daily Caller
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