Trump rips reporter over flood warning delay: ‘Only a very evil person would ask a question like that’

President Donald Trump slammed a “very evil person” after a question posed over the initial response to flash flooding in Texas’s Hill Country.

“Only a bad person would ask a question like that …”

As promised, after ensuring a trip to Kerr County would not interfere with the rescue and recovery efforts, as devastating floods had taken at least 120 lives, the president met with Texas officials in the Lone Star State Friday and surveyed the damage. During a round table discussion, Marissa Armas from CBS News Texas then took her chance to question the commander-in-chief to advance claims of issues with the delivery of warnings.

The alum from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism was heard introducing herself before questioning the president, “Several families we’ve heard from are obviously upset because they say that those warnings, those alerts, didn’t go out in time, and they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?”

“Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances. This was, I guess as [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem] said, a one in 500, one in a 1,000 years [flood]. And I just have admiration for the job that everybody did,” began Trump’s response before he asserted, “Only a bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you. I don’t know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that.”

President Trump gets a question about possible delays to flood warnings: “I just have admiration for the job that everybody did. Only a bad person would ask a question like that…I don’t know who you are but only a very evil person would ask a question like that.” pic.twitter.com/55lk5GoFK9

— CSPAN (@cspan) July 11, 2025

“I think this has been heroism. This has been incredible, really, the job you’ve all done,” continued the president, lauding first responders and all those contributing to aiding the disaster-stricken community. “It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Oh, what could have happened here or there? You know, maybe we could have done something differently.’ This was a thing that has never happened before.”

Previously, claims had circulated and been debunked that there had been staffing issues with the National Weather Service that may have delayed warnings to those in the path of the flooding.

Backing Trump up, some two weeks after CBS News parent company Paramount had agreed to a settlement regarding allegations of election interference from the president over the editing of a pre-election interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R) unloaded on corporate media efforts to pivot the tragedy into an attack on the administration.

“For all of the media clamoring to ask that ridiculous first question, trying to point fingers, the governor said it best when he said pointing fingers is for losers,” began the congressman whose district had taken the brunt of the flooding.

“This state is about looking forward, and we’ll figure out how to make our systems the best they can be. But importantly, when you see 26 feet of water rising a foot per minute, don’t go around pointing fingers,” continued the lawmaker. “The people in this community rallied around to help people, and that’s the enduring image — those little girls from Camp Mystic who were singing hymns as they watched the damage as they left that camp coming out of there. And that’s who the people of Texas are.”

Friday AM a week ago, @potus answered my call to tell him what was playing out in Kerr County and he said “whatever we need”. @Sec_Noem responded in 15 minutes.

I’ve never seen such rapid action and appreciate their presence and support. And support from the TxDel here today pic.twitter.com/MA955Nalqe

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) July 11, 2025

Roy also spoke directly to the president and said, “I can’t thank you enough. When I called you on Friday, you said, ‘whatever you need.’ When I called the secretary’s office, she called me within 15 minutes and said, ‘whatever you need,’ and then she came here this weekend. I’ve never seen such a quick response and such a focus on delivering for the people.”