This is a tough call for any politician. Do you go to a disaster area to offer support, or stay away to allow workers to do their job?
Obama himself is facing criticism for not cutting short his annual summer vacation to visit the flood devastation in Louisiana, but the governor, Democrat John Bel Edwards, has publicly asked Obama to stay away, citing the drain on resources that a presidential visit demands and that he would prefer to devote to flood relief.
Edwards' request may have contributed to the Trump campaign keeping the visit by the candidate him and running mate Mike Pence relatively quiet. The campaign has publicly released no details, and Edwards' office said that as of Thursday night, Trump hadn't called to say he was headed to the state.
"We welcome him to [Louisiana] but not for a photo-op," an Edwards spokesman said in a statement. The governor's office suggested Trump donate to flood relief instead.
Donald Trump today slammed President Obama for not interrupting his vacation to visit Louisiana after deadly flooding in Baton Rouge and parts of Lafayette.
While speaking with volunteers at the Greenwell Springs Baptist Church, north of Baton Rouge, Trump said, "The president says he doesn’t want to come, he is trying to get out of a golf game."
...President Barack Obama has received criticism for staying on vacation rather than traveling to Louisiana to see the damage first-hand.
But Edwards said Thursday that he's spoken with the White House daily and has received quick responses for each request he's made to the administration. He noted that FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate visited the state Tuesday and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was in-state Thursday.
Edwards said he is "not complaining in any way about our federal partnership."
He added that while the President can visit whenever he'd like, he'd prefer him to wait "a week or two" because such visits require local police and first responders to help block roads and provide security.
Maybe Trump / Pence think this is going to distract from the fact that Paul Manafort quit their campaign and is sure to face a criminal investigation with possible jail time?
Is anyone asking if Paul Manafort is a flight risk?
UPDATE: Okay, it was a photo op.
Watch Donald Trump Spend Exactly 49 Seconds 'Helping Out' Louisiana Flood Victims https://t.co/ap0C59qkDJ via @mediaite
— Kharly (@kharly) August 19, 2016
