Biden visits Maui after offering 'no comment' on wildfires

President Joe Biden on Monday arrived in Maui, Hawaii, to survey the damage from a devastating wildfire that killed more than 100 people.

"Jill and I are eager to meet with the brave first responders in Lahaina tomorrow, to spend time with families and community members, and witness firsthand what will be required for the community to recover. We will be here as long as it takes for Maui," Biden said Sunday, according to The Hill.

Biden plans to travel to Nevada in the evening, to resume his vacation in Lake Tahoe. During his brief visit, the president will meet with first responders to coordinate federal aid.

The wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina, leaving almost no building standing. An estimated 850 people remain missing. The response to the fire has attracted scrutiny, with one relief official resigning over the decision not to sound off the island's warning sirens. State Attorney General Anne Lopez has since announced an independent review of the wildfire response.

Biden, for his part, has attracted considerable scrutiny for his response to the crisis. While on vacation in Delaware last week, the president offered a curt "no comment" to questions about the death and destruction from the blaze.

He has since announced one-time $700 payments to families affected by the fire, which critics have blasted as meager and contrasted with the sum of federal funds the administration has sent to Ukraine.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.