national response. also promising the federal government will be here long after the cameras lead. so really sort of an upbeat message from the president, a realization it will take yearing to recover but the federal government will help. >> thanks so much from joplin, missouri. appreciate it. also in joplin, casey wian. casey, the president got a chance to see firsthand for himself the devastation there. you also got a chance to talk with people who said it's not six miles that this tornado was on the ground but perhaps double that number. >> reporter: absolutely. it's 12 miles. we went from the beginning till the end, west to east and followed the path of the tornado yesterday and it's 12 miles, and it's about three quarters of a mile wide. an incredible path of destruction. the president is a very popular