President Trump toured flood damage in Texas Friday — expressing grief over the “young angels” who died at a Christian summer camp after first lady Melania Trump was presented with a charm bracelet to commemorate the lives lost.
Trump said there were ” a lot of lives, a lot of young angels, at the girls’ Christian summer camp, known as Camp Mystic, a legendary camp, a camp that people would want to go to from all over the country.”
The president, describing the rapid water level rise in the Guadalupe River, then likened the torrent to an unsurfable wave — claiming at least 121 lives and leaving approximately 160 others missing.
“This is like a giant, giant wave in the Pacific Ocean that the best surfers in the world would be afraid to surf, and unleashed catastrophic flooding as most residents were asleep in their beds,” he said.
“As we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God has welcomed those little, beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven.”
Melania Trump, who joined her husband on the trip, showed off the bracelet after telling of an emotional private encounter before facing the press.
“Our nation is grieving with you. We just met with the wonderful families,” the first lady addressed briefing attendees.
Follow The Post’s coverage on the deadly Texas flooding
“We prayed with them, we hugged, we held hands. They shared the stories. And I met beautiful young ladies. They gave me this special bracelet from the camp in honor of all of the little girls that lost their lives.”
She added: “I will be back. I promised to them, and I just pray for them and am giving them my strength and love.”
Dr. Phil McGraw, the television personality, was also called upon by the president to offer words of consolation.
“If you see someone in the store, everybody wonders, ‘Do I say something to them? I know they lost a child or a grandchild. Do I bring it up?’” McGraw said. “The answer to that question is an unambiguous yes. You don’t ever let them think you’ve moved on from it.”
Trump hosted the media availability after visiting with first responders in the devastated areas west of Austin and San Antonio.
The scene turned tense when a journalist asked whether early warnings and immediate recovery efforts had been sufficient.
“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,” Trump shot back in response.
“I think this has been heroism. This has been incredible. Really, the job you’ve all done. It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘Oh, what could have happened here, there? You know, maybe we could have done something differently.’ This was a thing that has never happened before.”
