Karoline Leavitt Speaks Out: Slams Trump’s Cuts to the National Weather Service and Climate Denial After July 4th Flood Kills 68 — Including 28 Children

In a dramatic and unexpected political moment, Republican rising star Karoline Leavitt has broken her silence following the devastating July 4th flash floods that have left 68 Americans dead, including 28 children. In an emotional statement released Monday morning, Leavitt publicly criticized former President Donald Trump’s cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) and his repeated dismissal of climate change, calling the consequences of those policies “catastrophic and unforgivable.”

“This isn’t just about budgets or ideology anymore,” Leavitt said. “It’s about lives—innocent lives—many of them children, lost because we failed to act, failed to listen, and failed to prepare.”

The floods, which tore through parts of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana over the holiday weekend, caught many communities off guard. Torrential rainfall in excess of 17 inches in 24 hours turned small streams into raging rivers, washed away homes, and triggered landslides. Emergency responders have called the situation “the worst flash flood event in decades.”

“They Never Saw It Coming”

One of the most tragic elements of the disaster, Leavitt noted, was the lack of timely flood warnings in several affected regions. As rivers rose and waters surged through neighborhoods, many residents reported receiving little to no advance notice.

“They never saw it coming,” Leavitt said. “And that’s what breaks my heart the most—families sitting down to celebrate Independence Day, unaware that they were about to lose everything.”

Leavitt laid the blame squarely at the feet of decisions made during the Trump administration, pointing to proposed and enacted budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the NWS, including attempts to reduce forecasting staff and delay critical radar system upgrades.

“The National Weather Service is our frontline defense against climate disasters. Weakening it to save money was a short-sighted and dangerous move—and now we’re seeing the cost in funerals and missing persons reports.”

A Bold Break From Party Lines

Leavitt’s remarks represent a significant shift for a young Republican once described as a “MAGA protégé.” As a former assistant press secretary under the Trump administration, she was long seen as part of the new generation carrying Trump’s message forward. But her decision to publicly criticize the former president’s environmental legacy is already sending shockwaves through conservative circles.

“I supported President Trump because I believed in America First,” Leavitt said. “But ignoring science, slashing weather forecasting budgets, and mocking climate change—that’s not America First. That’s America unprotected.”

Political analysts say Leavitt’s statement may signal a new fracture in the GOP, particularly among younger conservatives who have grown increasingly concerned about climate change and environmental policy.

“Climate Change Is Not a Hoax — It’s a Hurricane”

Leavitt didn’t stop at Trump’s budget policies. She took direct aim at the former president’s repeated denial of climate change, which she called “a betrayal of our future.”

“You can’t call it a hoax when mothers are pulling their children from flooded basements,” she said. “You can’t laugh at rising temperatures while people are drowning in their living rooms.”

She went on to describe the July 4th disaster as part of a growing pattern of climate-fueled chaos—from wildfires in the West to rising sea levels in the East.

“This wasn’t a freak storm. This is the new normal. And if we don’t change course now, it won’t be the last time we see headlines like this.”

A Call to Action, Not Just Blame

While Leavitt was pointed in her critique, she ended her remarks with a call to unity and action, urging lawmakers from both parties to:

• Fully fund and modernize the National Weather Service

• Reinvest in disaster response infrastructure

• Pass bipartisan climate resilience legislation

• Acknowledge the science and treat climate change as a national security threat

“This isn’t about left or right. It’s about right or wrong,” she said. “And I refuse to sit quietly while children die because our leaders didn’t take the storm seriously.”

Leavitt also announced plans to lead a congressional delegation to the hardest-hit areas in Texas later this week, where she intends to meet with emergency responders, grieving families, and local officials.

The Political Risk — And Courage

Unsurprisingly, Leavitt’s stance has sparked immediate backlash from far-right commentators and former Trump allies. Some accused her of betrayal. Others warned that her 2026 Senate ambitions may be “dead in the water.”

But among everyday Americans—especially those in flooded communities—her words have struck a chord.

“She said what needed to be said,” wrote one Texas mother on social media, whose two children narrowly escaped rising waters. “Maybe now someone will finally listen.”

A Voice for a New Generation?

As the water recedes and the country counts its dead, Karoline Leavitt’s bold decision may mark the beginning of a new conversation in American politics—one that prioritizes science, safety, and survival over slogans and stubbornness.

And if this moment proves anything, it’s that the tides are rising—not just in our rivers, but in our politics, too.