Trump Visits Texas Flood Sites

He said he had just visited with the "incredible families" who have been "devastated."

Trump thanked the first responders, adding that he and the first lady were there to "express the love and support and anguish of our entire nation."

"So all across the country, Americans' hearts are shattered," he said. "We're filled with grief and devastation. It's the loss of life, and unfortunately, they're still looking."

"My administration’s doing everything in its power to help Texas," he added.

He thanked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for his leadership, who in turn thanked the president for the administration’s quick response to the state’s disaster declaration, adding, "We’re going to rebuild this community."

Dr. Phil McGraw, who was also at the roundtable, spoke about grief and said, "Mr. President, there is a depth of root and caring here like you just can't believe until you see it."

Trump said two things had struck him: the "unity" of Texans and the "competence" of those responding to the disaster.

"Everyone has just pulled together, it's rare that you see this," he said.

Trump referred to Camp Mystic, where more than two dozen girls, who the president referred to as "young angels," were killed in the flood, as a "legendary camp that people would want to go to from all over the country."

"They were there because they loved God," he said. "And as we grieve this unthinkable tragedy, we take comfort in the knowledge that God is welcoming those little beautiful girls into his comforting arms in heaven."

The first lady showed a bracelet she was wearing that she said she received in honor of "all of the little girls that lost their lives" at the camp. "So, we are here to honor them and also to give the support, help."

Meanwhile, Noem dismissed the report's credibility during a segment on "Fox & Friends" on Thursday, claiming the report was "fake news."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA, told Fox News Digital that the agency has "taken an all-hands-on-deck approach" in responding to the crisis, when asked about the CNN report.

"The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Trump also defended his administration’s response and said at the White House during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting that "you had people there as fast as anybody’s ever seen."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the future of FEMA is an ongoing discussion, when asked whether the flood had prompted Trump to re-evaluate his position on overhauling FEMA.

"The president wants to ensure American citizens always have what they need during times of need," Leavitt told reporterson Monday. "Whether that assistance comes from states or the federal government, that’s a policy discussion that will continue. And the president has always said he wants states to do as much as they can, if not more."

Meanwhile, Noem lauded FEMA’s efforts responding to the disaster during the Cabinet meeting, even as some lawmakers like Rep. Jared Moscowitz, D-Fla., have called for an investigation into reports of a delayed FEMA response.

"FEMA has been deployed, and we’re cutting through the paperwork of the old FEMA, streamlining it much like your vision of how FEMA should operate," Noem said. "It’s been a much better response to help these families get through this terrible situation."