On September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a category 4 hurricane. As of Tuesday, October 1, approximately 130 are dead, with the death toll still rising. Millions are still without power, the largest number of them in South Carolina, according to CNN. But nearly all the political focus has been on the responses in Georgia and North Carolina, two key swing states in the 2024 election.
Soon after the hurricane hit, Republican Candidate Donald Trump visited the disaster site, and criticized Vice President and Democratic Candidate Kamala Harris for not doing the same. Harris had canceled campaign events in Las Vegas, Nevada, to return to DC to meet with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is in charge of federal responses to natural disasters.
Harris criticized Trump for visiting the disaster site too early, distracting from rescue efforts and politicizing the crisis only for the benefit of his campaign. Trump also stated that it’s not time for political statements, but claimed on his social media that pictures of Harris with FEMA were “STAGED,” falsely claimed without evidence that the democratic governor of North Carolina was intentionally avoiding sending aid to Republican areas, and falsely claimed that the governor of Georgia wasn’t able to reach the Biden administration about federal aid; a claim that the governor, a Republican, refuted. Harris said that she will visit the site later when it wouldn’t detract from recovery efforts, and President Biden is planning to visit for a survey of the damage on Wednesday.
Sources:
Desperation grows to find hundreds unaccounted for in wake of Helene | CNN
Trump turns Hurricane Helene aftermath political – POLITICO
Trump, Harris venture into the politics of Hurricane Helene – The Washington Post
Trump makes false claims about federal response as he campaigns in area ravaged by Hurricane Helene
Hundreds Still Missing in Mountain Towns After ‘History-Making’ Helene
Image Sources:
Supplies arrive by plane and mule to North Carolina as Helene death toll tops 100 – POLITICO
Trump Says No One Could Have Predicted Hurricane Helene in Georgia
Vice President Harris Visits FEMA [Image 7 of 7]
