Biden sets Maui visit for next week as fire death toll hits at least 106

WASHINGTON — President Biden will take time out from a Western break Monday to visit Maui as the known death toll reaches 106 from the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century — after the commander-in-chief took intense criticism this week for appearing detached following the natural disaster.

The Aug. 21 visit by the 80-year-old will come in the midst of a previously planned weeklong vacation to Lake Tahoe, Nev.

The president on Tuesday broke his silence about the staggering death toll at an economy-focused speech in Milwaukee, but at one point appeared to forget the word “Maui” and referred to it as “the one where you see on television all of the time.”

“I apologize because I try very hard to keep my speeches between 15 and 18 minutes, but I got to talk a little bit about Hawaii,” Biden also said.

Two days earlier, Biden had replied “no comment” when asked for his reaction to the tragedy — stoking criticism even from fellow Democrats.

“I campaigned for you,” former Hawaii legislator Kaniela Ing tweeted Monday. “Now, when I lose dozens of my friends, family, and neighbors. This?”

The White House has authorized a $700 one-time relief grant to fire victims.

But even that has come under withering criticism, particularly from opponents of sustained US aid to Ukraine, which totaled $113 billion, with Biden requesting another $20.6 billion last week.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended Biden’s performance on Monday, but while doing so mispronounced the names of both of Hawaii’s Democratic US senators, bestowing onto Sen. Mazie Hirono the surname “Harino” and using the pronoun “he” for the female legislator and referring to Sen. Brian Schatz as “Senator Shorts” and “Sharts.”

“Senator Harino [sic], who I said the president spoke to just last night, he thanked the president for the immediate support of federal agencies have delivered for residents of Hawaii,” Jean-Pierre told reporters, “and so does, has, so has Senator Shorts, Shwots, Sharts — Schatz.”

Jean-Pierre said in a statement that Biden on Monday will “meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials, in the wake of deadly wildfires on the island.”

“In Maui, the President and First Lady will be welcomed by state and local leaders to see firsthand the impacts of the wildfires and the devastating loss of life and land that has occurred on the island, as well as discuss the next steps in the recovery effort,” the press secretary added.

“The President continues to marshal a whole-of-government response to the deadly Maui fires, and he has committed to delivering everything that the people of Hawaii need from the federal government as they recover from this disaster.”