Topline
Former President Donald Trump and his allies seized on Hurricane Helene to claim President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris haven’t adequately responded to the disaster that tore through two crucial election battlegrounds and several other states in the Southeastern U.S. over the weekend.
Former President Donald Trump, speaks with press as he visits Chez What Furniture store which was … [+]
Key Facts
Trump alleged on Monday that GOP Gov. Brian Kemp was “having a hard time getting the president on the phone,” he told reporters while visiting Valdosta, Georgia, adding that “the federal government is not being very responsive.”
Trump made the accusation despite Kemp saying earlier Monday that he spoke to Biden on Sunday and that the president said that “if there’s [anything else] we need just to call him directly.”
Trump also claimed Harris “staged” a photo of herself that she included in a tweet about her phone calls with Federal Emergency Management Association Administrator Deanne Criswell and North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper because her headphones were not plugged into her phone (Harris has not yet responded to questions about the accusation).
Trump also alleged in a Truth Social post Biden and Harris “have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South.”
Trump on Sunday accused Harris of delaying her visit to impacted areas, telling a crowd in Pennsylvania, “she ought to be down in the area where she should be,” though the White House said she would visit the area as soon as she can do so without being disruptive to the emergency response.
Earlier Monday, FEMA spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg disputed a tweet by conservative influencer Robby Starbuck stating “FEMA’s #1 goal is to be woke,” while highlighting a strategic plan posted to FEMA’s website that states instilling “equity as a foundation of emergency management.”
Rothenberg called the tweet a “lie,” writing on X that the agency helps “all people regardless of background as fast as possible before, during and after disasters.”
Tangent
Trump said Monday from Georgia that he spoke to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about setting up Starlink satellites in areas without internet. “Elon will always come through,” Trump said, promoting one of his campaign’s most high-profile backers. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates pointed out on X that FEMA has already mobilized 40 Starlink satellite systems in North Carolina and plans to send 140 more.
Key Background
Helene tore through the Southeastern U.S. over the weekend, killing more than 100 people across six states and causing catastrophic flooding and devastation, as officials predicted the death toll would rise as rescuers sifted through the damage. More than 2 million homes remained without power in Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia, and hundreds of people were still reported missing, according to the Associated Press.
Surprising Fact
Presidents have often faced scrutiny in the past over promptly visiting the sites of natural disasters. Trump visited Puerto Rico nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria in 2017, and was criticized for his conduct during the visit, including tossing paper towels to victims and downplaying the death toll. In 2022, Biden first visited Southwest Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Oct. 5, nearly a week after it made landfall. Former President Barack Obama visited southern New Jersey two days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in October 2012. Former President George W. Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 damaged his political career as he was in Texas for a weeks-long vacation when the storm hit New Orleans. A photo of Bush surveying the damage from Air Force One on his way back to Washington from Texas became an analogy for what was widely viewed as an inadequate response. He made his first on-the-ground visit on Sept. 2, 2005, five days after Katrina made landfall.
Further Reading
Hurricane Helene Leaves Nearly 100 Dead And More Than 2 Million Homes Without Power (Forbes)
CORRECTION (9/30): This article has been updated to note former President George W. Bush was responding to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
