Maui wildfire survivor claims Biden administration neglects US citizens in need.
Maui Wildfire Survivor Calls Out President Biden for Lack of Support
Maui wildfire survivor Mike Cicchino recently spoke out about the lack of assistance from the government as residents try to rebuild their lives. In a recent interview, Cicchino expressed his frustration, stating that Lahaina residents like himself were “not being treated like” American citizens.
Cicchino shared his harrowing experience with “NewsNation Prime” host Natasha Zouves. He recounted the terrifying moments when he and his wife had to flee into the ocean to escape the flames engulfing their historic village. For three hours, they struggled to stay afloat, fearing for their lives.
“Being on fire, not knowing where land is, at points, the currents pulling us out where we can’t touch the ground,” Cicchino recalled. ”At times, I remember just telling her to make sure that she saves herself. ‘Don’t worry. If I start drowning out here, you save yourself.’ It’s the most terrifying experience of our life.”
Upon returning to shore, Cicchino and his wife discovered that their home and business had been destroyed. However, the assistance offered by the federal government so far has been a meager one-time payment of $700 per household, which Cicchino has yet to receive.
“We are the 50th state here, and we’re not being treated like we’re U.S. citizens. We feel like we just got out of a fight for our life. Now, we’re back in another fight for our life to find a home, to find a place to rest our head at night,” he expressed. ”We’re not getting any help from the federal government so far.”
“We never received the $700, which I mean wouldn’t go very far here in Hawaii. We’re mostly getting help from private organizations and nonprofits,” Cicchino revealed. ”I can’t speak for everybody, but we feel like we’re not getting any help out here, at least from the federal government. They are helping, from what I understand, down on the ground to look for bodies, to clear out rubble, those types of things. But as far as the people that were displaced, financially they’ve been no help.”
President Biden has faced widespread criticism for his handling of the deadly fires, which have claimed 115 lives and left hundreds missing. While he was initially praised for declaring a state of emergency, he received backlash for offering “no comment” on the rising death toll and for delaying his visit to the devastated island for nearly two weeks.
Biden’s eventual trip to survey the damage, which was a brief day trip sandwiched between vacation days in Lake Tahoe, only added to the controversy. During his visit, he made an ill-advised comparison between the massive wildfire and a small kitchen fire that occurred in his Delaware home years ago.
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