President Joe Biden announced a trip to Hawaii after days of pressure, but political minefields still lay in his path.

Biden and the White House were asked repeatedly if the president would visit the site of wildfires that have claimed at least 106 lives, with the president sometimes demurring and sometimes refusing to comment at all.

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Now that a trip is on the schedule, those criticisms should be alleviated, even if others are sure to follow.

"The visit and timing are in line with what presidents should do," said Republican strategist Doug Heye, who noted that going too early can hinder recovery efforts. "None of that explains, though, how someone we’ve been told would be an excellent consoler in chief, and certainly much better than Trump at these sorts of things, stayed silent for so long and offered a 'no comment' over genuine concerns for what Hawaiians are experiencing."

The Maui visit will replace a vacation in Lake Tahoe, which would have been Biden's second vacation of the month, a topic for which he's faced severe criticism from the right.

Whether deservedly or not, the presidential disaster response often generates headlines.

Donald Trump was criticized for playing golf as president during important moments, as was his predecessor, Barack Obama. But the biggest presidential disaster story in the 21st century remains George W. Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Bush was routed for initially staying on vacation in Texas after Katrina and then for flying over the disaster area before actually visiting the site two days later. His approval ratings nosedived and never recovered.

In contrast, Obama likely got a reelection boost for his response to Hurricane Sandy just before the 2012 election, though conservatives may argue that media bias played a role in the perception of both events.

Biden was already getting heat in some corners for his refusal to visit East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a February train derailment that sent hazardous materials blazing into the sky. Facing pressure to visit, Biden said in early March that he'd go "at some point," which remains to be realized. Some observers noted he flew almost directly over East Palestine during a Tuesday trip to Milwaukee.

Similar pressure was mounting over the Hawaii disaster, which will be nearly two weeks old by the time Biden arrives on Monday.

In the meantime, the White House stressed that the president has been in contact with local officials as well as administrators from a host of federal agencies, most notably the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"I’ve spoken with Gov. Josh Green multiple times and reassured him the state will have everything it needs from the federal government," Biden said in Milwaukee. "I immediately approved the governor’s request for an expedited major disaster declaration. That’s a fancy word of saying, 'Whatever you need, you’re going to get.'”

He also said he didn't want to come too early and risk impinging upon recovery efforts.

The issue came up again during Wednesday's White House press briefing, which included FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. Reporters asked about the timing and what milestones needed to be crossed to allow Biden to visit on Monday.

"Our biggest goal was to make sure that we weren't going to disrupt the ability of our search and rescue teams to continue their operations," Criswell said. "When I was just briefing the president as he spoke with the governor [of Hawaii], he asked the governor if this was going to be an appropriate time, and the governor agreed."

All eyes will be on Biden as he makes the long trek west to Maui.

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Democratic strategist Brad Bannon also stressed that the president waited until the appropriate time to announce the trip and predicted a successful one.

"He's interrupting a well-earned vacation to go there to survey the damage. He should be congratulated, not criticized," Bannon said. "George W. Bush buzzed into New Orleans after Katrina and left the stricken area to its fate. President Biden's visit to Maui will be a success if he is able to galvanize the vast military resources in Hawaii to get the devastated residents of the island back on their feet."