Trump Incorporates "Hurricane Helene" into His 2024 Campaign Strategy
The former president revealed intentions to visit Georgia on Monday, criticizing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their response to the devastating storm.
TroibNews 
Former President Donald Trump is turning Hurricane Helene into a focal point for his campaign as he prepares to visit storm-stricken battleground Georgia on Monday, criticizing the Biden administration's response just weeks ahead of the November election.
During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Trump accused President Joe Biden of “sleeping” at his beach house in Delaware and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for hosting fundraising events in California while "big parts of our country have been devastated by that massive hurricane.”
The Associated Press reports that Hurricane Helene has claimed at least 84 lives. The storm made landfall in Florida late Thursday before moving through the Southeast, impacting the Southern Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley. It resulted in millions of power outages and caused billions of dollars in property damage, significantly affecting electoral swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina.
Following his rally, the Trump campaign announced that he would receive a briefing about Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday, after which he is set to distribute relief supplies and speak with reporters. During the rally, Trump stated that Harris “ought to be down in the area” where the storm struck.
Later on Sunday, Biden informed Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell that he plans to visit “impacted communities” this week “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations.” A White House official added that Harris also intends to go "as soon as it is possible" without causing disruptions.
According to the White House, Harris has been briefed by Criswell, and Biden has sanctioned disaster declarations for multiple states along with major disaster declarations for specific counties. These actions will facilitate temporary housing assistance, grants, and low-interest loans for home repairs. Both officials urged the public to take the storm seriously before its landfall.
On Saturday, Harris expressed her condolences in a statement, emphasizing that she and the president “remain committed to ensuring that no community or state has to respond to this disaster alone.” Similarly, Biden cautioned that “the road to recovery will be long” but assured that he would “be with you every step of the way” and ensure “no resource is spared” in the rebuilding process.
During her own Sunday night campaign rally in Las Vegas, Harris acknowledged the disaster, stating, “I know that everyone here sends their thoughts and prayers for the folks who have been so devastated by that hurricane and the ensuing events, in Florida, in Georgia, the Carolinas, and other impacted states."
Biden spent the weekend at his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he received updates on Helene’s impact from Criswell and Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. He urged agencies to expedite the deployment of search and rescue teams in North Carolina, where residents are stranded without cell service or electricity.
Biden returned to the White House on Sunday afternoon.
How elected officials handle natural disasters can significantly influence their political futures, demonstrating opportunities for leadership or unity. For example, a post-election analysis from Trump's 2020 campaign pollster identified his handling of the COVID pandemic as a crucial factor in his defeat to Biden.
After Hurricane Maria in 2017, Trump faced backlash for tossing paper towels into a crowd during a relief visit to Puerto Rico, which had suffered extensive damage. His conflicts with the mayor of San Juan over the federal response became highly publicized.
On Sunday, Trump built up his trip to areas affected by Hurricane Helene in a post on Truth Social, questioning why Harris was attending fundraisers in San Francisco and Los Angeles “when big parts of our country are devastated and under water — with many people dead.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is Harris' running mate, shared on X shortly after Trump's rally that hurricane victims were “on my mind” and commended first responders. He expressed sorrow over the devastation in Asheville, North Carolina, where he had campaigned a week prior, noting that officials reported at least 30 fatalities there.
Trump used his rally to reiterate many of his familiar criticisms of his opponents, making personal attacks on both Biden and Harris, calling them “mentally impaired.” He suggested that Democrats would have been better off with Biden as their presidential nominee, despite Harris polling significantly better against Trump, and showcased a video mocking her laughter while revisiting her past stances on illegal immigration.
These remarks came even as many Republicans have urged Trump to concentrate on key issues as Election Day approaches, especially with early voting already underway in some states.
Biden has previously joined political opponents in the wake of natural disasters, including a tour of devastation with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after Hurricane Ian in 2022. The next year, after Hurricane Idalia struck, he announced that security measures for a presidential visit would be too disruptive to recovery efforts.
Instead, Senator Rick Scott accepted a meeting with Biden. Up for reelection in November and actively involved in Florida’s storm response, Scott criticized Harris for not being present on the ground before Trump declared his plans to visit storm-hit areas. Harris' campaign also responded to Trump’s hurricane comments on social media, sharing a clip from his rally in which he mocked climate change.
Criswell participated in press conferences alongside DeSantis in Florida over the weekend. She was in Georgia on Sunday and is scheduled to be in North Carolina on Monday.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Trump accused President Joe Biden of “sleeping” at his beach house in Delaware and criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for hosting fundraising events in California while "big parts of our country have been devastated by that massive hurricane.”
The Associated Press reports that Hurricane Helene has claimed at least 84 lives. The storm made landfall in Florida late Thursday before moving through the Southeast, impacting the Southern Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley. It resulted in millions of power outages and caused billions of dollars in property damage, significantly affecting electoral swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina.
Following his rally, the Trump campaign announced that he would receive a briefing about Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday, after which he is set to distribute relief supplies and speak with reporters. During the rally, Trump stated that Harris “ought to be down in the area” where the storm struck.
Later on Sunday, Biden informed Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell that he plans to visit “impacted communities” this week “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations.” A White House official added that Harris also intends to go "as soon as it is possible" without causing disruptions.
According to the White House, Harris has been briefed by Criswell, and Biden has sanctioned disaster declarations for multiple states along with major disaster declarations for specific counties. These actions will facilitate temporary housing assistance, grants, and low-interest loans for home repairs. Both officials urged the public to take the storm seriously before its landfall.
On Saturday, Harris expressed her condolences in a statement, emphasizing that she and the president “remain committed to ensuring that no community or state has to respond to this disaster alone.” Similarly, Biden cautioned that “the road to recovery will be long” but assured that he would “be with you every step of the way” and ensure “no resource is spared” in the rebuilding process.
During her own Sunday night campaign rally in Las Vegas, Harris acknowledged the disaster, stating, “I know that everyone here sends their thoughts and prayers for the folks who have been so devastated by that hurricane and the ensuing events, in Florida, in Georgia, the Carolinas, and other impacted states."
Biden spent the weekend at his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he received updates on Helene’s impact from Criswell and Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. He urged agencies to expedite the deployment of search and rescue teams in North Carolina, where residents are stranded without cell service or electricity.
Biden returned to the White House on Sunday afternoon.
How elected officials handle natural disasters can significantly influence their political futures, demonstrating opportunities for leadership or unity. For example, a post-election analysis from Trump's 2020 campaign pollster identified his handling of the COVID pandemic as a crucial factor in his defeat to Biden.
After Hurricane Maria in 2017, Trump faced backlash for tossing paper towels into a crowd during a relief visit to Puerto Rico, which had suffered extensive damage. His conflicts with the mayor of San Juan over the federal response became highly publicized.
On Sunday, Trump built up his trip to areas affected by Hurricane Helene in a post on Truth Social, questioning why Harris was attending fundraisers in San Francisco and Los Angeles “when big parts of our country are devastated and under water — with many people dead.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is Harris' running mate, shared on X shortly after Trump's rally that hurricane victims were “on my mind” and commended first responders. He expressed sorrow over the devastation in Asheville, North Carolina, where he had campaigned a week prior, noting that officials reported at least 30 fatalities there.
Trump used his rally to reiterate many of his familiar criticisms of his opponents, making personal attacks on both Biden and Harris, calling them “mentally impaired.” He suggested that Democrats would have been better off with Biden as their presidential nominee, despite Harris polling significantly better against Trump, and showcased a video mocking her laughter while revisiting her past stances on illegal immigration.
These remarks came even as many Republicans have urged Trump to concentrate on key issues as Election Day approaches, especially with early voting already underway in some states.
Biden has previously joined political opponents in the wake of natural disasters, including a tour of devastation with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after Hurricane Ian in 2022. The next year, after Hurricane Idalia struck, he announced that security measures for a presidential visit would be too disruptive to recovery efforts.
Instead, Senator Rick Scott accepted a meeting with Biden. Up for reelection in November and actively involved in Florida’s storm response, Scott criticized Harris for not being present on the ground before Trump declared his plans to visit storm-hit areas. Harris' campaign also responded to Trump’s hurricane comments on social media, sharing a clip from his rally in which he mocked climate change.
Criswell participated in press conferences alongside DeSantis in Florida over the weekend. She was in Georgia on Sunday and is scheduled to be in North Carolina on Monday.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
