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Trump to donate $1 million for Texas recovery

US President Donald Trump will donate $1 million of his fortune to recovery efforts in Texas though the White House said he hasn’t determined which group or groups will receive the contribution.

“He would like to join in the efforts that a lot of people we have seen across the country do,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Thursday, saying the funds would come from the President’s “personal money”.

She said the President hadn’t determined which organization to support but solicited requests from the media for worthy groups, CNN reported.

Trump has had a spotty record when it comes to pledging and then actually carrying through on his promises to donate money to charities, according to reports.

He has in the past also exaggerated the amount of money given through his now-shuttered charitable foundation.

Sanders said the President intends to return to the Southwest on Saturday to view flood damage with stops possible in Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Trump was in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Wednesday to meet officials.

Vice President Pence surveyed flooded-out areas of Texas on Thursday. He helped pick up debris, visited a heavily damaged church in Rockport and stopped at a food distribution centre in Victoria.

Meanwhile, the White House said it will ask the US Congress for emergency funding to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Trump is expected to propose an initial $5.9 billion. Texas authorities said the state might need more than $125 billion.

Authorities continue searching for survivors and made helicopter rescues from rooftops as the death toll from Harvey climbed to at least 47, according to CNN.

The storm dumped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of rain over Texas and Louisiana over six days, said Ryan Maue, of the weather analytics company WeatherBell.

More than 96,000 people in Texas have been approved for emergency assistance, including financial aid for rent and lost property, officials said. Over $57 million has already been distributed for housing, personal property and transportation assistance.

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