Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump will travel to Texas on Friday to meet with first responders, families affected by the recent deadly July 4 floods, and local officials, according to a White House official.

Ex-FEMA officials say it’s unclear how the response differs from FEMA’s typical role in disasters, which is to support states through coordination and funding.

The deadly floods have renewed focus on Donald Trump’s plan to replace FEMA with state-driven emergency efforts.

The governor was quick to request federal assistance last week after devastating floods hit the Texas Hill Country.

Q: Is it true that if President Donald Trump hadn’t defunded the National Weather Service, the death toll in the Texas flooding would have been far lower or nonexistent? A: The Trump administration did not defund the NWS but did reduce the staff by 600 people.

President Trump is flaunting his bond with deep-red Texas ahead of a Friday trip to the state, where he will assess deadly flooding that took the lives of more than 120 people. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has heaped praise on the administration this week for the federal response to the disaster,

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been exerting more direct control over the agency, which President Donald Trump has talked about "getting rid of."

President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency chief has thrown his weight behind right-wing conspiracy theories that have spread online in the wake of the Texas floods.