White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt set the record straight on Monday after multiple media outlets had blamed President Donald Trump’s administration for what they claimed was a lack of necessary staffing at the National Weather Service (NWS).

Multiple reports have circulated — in the wake of devastating flash flooding in central Texas — suggesting that Trump’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal government through the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had led to a shortage of key staffers in the Texas NWS offices responsible for warning the local population in the event of a flood.

Leavitt pushed back, saying that the offices in question were, in fact, fully staffed.

WATCH:

.@PressSec dispels the fake news around National Weather Service staffing in the wake of the weekend’s devastating Texas flooding: “The San Angelo office was fully staffed with 12 forecast meteorologists … The San Antonio office was operating with 11 forecasters.” pic.twitter.com/sk5rPG1Tv1

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 7, 2025

“Are there concerns within the White House or from the president himself that the cuts that happened under Musk while he was advising DOGE, including the National Weather Service?” one reporter asked.

“I think I’ve already addressed that … and what I can tell you is that these offices were fully staffed,” Leavitt explained. “The San Angelo office was fully staffed with 12 forecast meteorologists, there were no vacancies. The San Antonio office was operating with 11 forecasters, and … the union themselves said that there was adequate staffing, so I think those words speak for themselves, and the numbers speak for themselves.”

“This was a once-in-a-century flash flood, a tragic natural disaster, and the administration is doing all that we can on the ground to help these families during this time of need,” she added.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he planned to visit the flood-ravaged state in the near future, but wanted to wait until his presence would not be a hindrance to relief efforts.

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, secured a major court victory last Thursday when a judge ordered a mental evaluation that could lead to a new trial.

Ibarra, 27, was found guilty in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, who he murdered after she went jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.

According to court documents, Ibarra’s defense attorneys claimed he “lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature and object and proceedings” and is “suffering from congenital deficiency which could render the client incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial,” per the New York Post.

Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a “prompt evaluation” to determine if Ibarra was fit to stand trial last year and whether he can assist with his current appeal.

“The mental competence of [Ibarra] has been called into question, and this court has found it appropriate for an evaluation to be conducted at the public expense,” the order reads.

Prosecutor Sheila Ross noted in court filings that there was no evidence during the trial suggesting Ibarra wasn’t mentally competent, though she didn’t oppose the evaluation and instead left the decision up to the Judge.

Ibarra, a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Haggard sentenced the illegal immigrant to life in prison without parole.

Ibarra had illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration’s border crisis, having been detained in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released after approximately one day.

Riley’s brutal murder shocked the University of Georgia campus and garnered national attention amid heated debates about immigration enforcement.

In January, President Donald Trump signed into law the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.

Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.

The mental evaluation is set to take place either at the Georgia Department of Corrections or at a designated hospital facility. No timeline has been established for when the evaluation results might be available or how quickly the court will rule on potential next steps.

If the mental evaluation finds Ibarra was not competent during his original trial, his defense team could petition for a retrial, potentially setting aside his life sentence and reopening wounds for Riley’s family and community.