Biden to Assess Tornado Damage in Kentucky Wednesday

U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday that he is going to visit Kentucky on Wednesday to view damage from last week’s devastating tornadoes.

Biden announced the upcoming trip following a briefing with homeland security and disaster response officials in the Oval Office to see what more the federal government can do to support those affected by the natural disaster.

Biden is scheduled to visit Ft. Campbell, Kentucky for a briefing on the response operations, and then to hard-hit Mayfield and Dawson Springs to survey the damage, according to the White House.

On her part, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden is not expected to give a speech when he visits Kentucky, but will rather be focused on meeting with local officials and “trying to be a source of comfort to people who have gone through a devastating couple of days in their communities.”

“That visit is really about him receiving an update of the work that’s happening on the ground, hearing directly from leaders on what they need more from the federal government, if anything, and he’s going to be very responsive to that,” she said.

The president, who has already signed emergency declarations for Kentucky, affirmed that he stands ready to do the same for Illinois, adding that he has ordered his administration to make every resource available to local and state officials in Kentucky and the other states impacted by the storms.

He said his message to governors was that the federal government would help them get “Whatever they need, when they need it.”

“We’re going to get this done,” Biden added. “We’re going to be there as long as it takes to help.”