WASHINGTON -- While discussing sales and U.S. production of heavy equipment with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, President Donald Trump took the time to answer a reporter's questions regarding the recent explosions in Austin.
"It’s terrible. The bombings in Austin are terrible," President Trump said. "Local, state and federal are working hand and hand to get to the bottom of it."
On Monday, Governor Greg Abbot said the State of Texas is offering 100 troops, 10 sergeants, and a number of DPS special agents to assist the City of Austin in the investigation, as well as a Texas Ranger bomb squad, bomb detecting canines, intelligence analysts, and helicopters to help patrol the streets.
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"This is obviously a very, very sick individual, maybe individuals," said President Trump. "These are sick people and we will get to the bottom of it. We will be very strong. We have all sorts of federal agencies over there right now. We’re searching what’s going on in Austin right now -- a great place, tremendous place. It’s absolutely disgraceful what’s going on. So we have a lot of power over there."
On March 18, the Austin Police Department reported more than 500 federal agents are assisting in the investigation. Police said on March 20 that the Austin Police Department has received more than 1,257 calls about suspicious packages since 8 a.m. on March 12.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Tuesday that there is "no apparent nexus to terrorism at this time."
"I will say working with Texas, working with the local governments has been great, but we have to produce, we have to find this very sick person or people," President Trump said.
Gov. Abbott said a $160,000 grant from the Criminal Justice Division will be provided to the City of Austin for bomb detection equipment, as well as a $105,000 grant for three scanning devices for the Texas Department of Public Safety to assist in the process.