Mark Meadows blasts Biden's promise to Hurricane Ida survivors after Afghanistan withdrawal

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows questioned President Biden’s promise not to leave Hurricane Ida survivors behind, comparing it to his promise to evacuate Americans stranded in Afghanistan.

"Joe Biden just told hurricane survivors they ‘won’t be left behind,’ which would be comforting words had he not just said the exact same thing last week, and then turned his back—leaving hundreds of Americans behind in Afghanistan," Meadows tweeted Thursday. "Then and now. Biden’s words are empty."

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Biden was heavily criticized for his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan that ultimately failed to evacuate every American from the country, despite multiple promises from the administration that those who wanted to leave would be evacuated by the U.S. military.

Biden spoke directly to Americans in the Gulf Coast, where Hurricane Ida first made landfall, in a statement released Thursday. 

"My message to the people of the Gulf Coast, who I’m going to visit tomorrow: We are here for you," Biden said. "And we’re making sure the response and recovery is equitable so that those hit hardest get the resources they need and are not left behind."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At least 43 people have been reported dead after historic rains linked to Hurricane Ida flooded northeastern states on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

At least 13 people were confirmed dead in New York City as a result of the severe weather, including a 2-year-old boy, a 48-year-old female, and a 50-year-old man who were all found inside a home in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens.

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Officials said at least 23 people died in New Jersey. Four were found dead in an apartment complex in Elizabeth, the city’s mayor and spokesperson told local media. Others were in vehicles that got overtaken by water during flooding. 

Four people died in Pennsylvania’s suburban Montgomery County. Connecticut State Police and local authorities said an on-duty state trooper was swept away in his cruiser and later taken to a hospital. A 19-year-old man was also found dead in Maryland.  

Speaking to reporters early Thursday afternoon, President Biden said that he had spoken with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and intended to speak with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. 

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"We want to express my heartfelt thanks to all the first responders and everyone working through the night well into the morning to save lives and get power back," the president said.

"There’s a lot of damage. I made clear to the governors: My team at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is on the ground ready to provide all the assistance that’s needed," said Biden. 

Fox News’ Brie Stimson, Julia Musto, and Bradford Betz contributed to this report