Trump politicizes aftermath of Hurricane Helene
During his speech in Georgia, Trump criticized Harris, Biden, and Walz, all while recognizing that it may not have been the most appropriate moment or setting to do so.
TroibNews 
As Kamala Harris returned to Washington for a briefing on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Donald Trump visited a storm-affected community in Georgia on Monday and quickly turned the trip into a political spectacle.
Standing in front of debris from a furniture store in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump reiterated his unfounded claim that President Joe Biden wouldn’t speak to the state’s Republican governor, despite Gov. Brian Kemp stating he had spoken with the president the previous day and was grateful for the federal assistance received.
While addressing reporters who had gathered before his afternoon stop, Trump predicted that Biden was “sleeping,” criticized Harris for being “out somewhere campaigning, looking for money” a day earlier—when Trump himself was holding a rally in Pennsylvania—and insulted her running mate by calling him “Tampon Tim.”
Although he appeared to acknowledge the inappropriateness of the political tone during a crisis when reading from prepared remarks, stating, “As you know, our country is in the final weeks of a hard-fought national election. At a time like this when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters,” he quickly reverted to his usual rhetoric. “We’re not talking about politics now. We have to all get together and get this solved,” he said, but his subsequent comments suggested otherwise.
This blend of political campaigning and disaster response also highlighted the contrasting demeanor of Harris, who aims to project a more measured approach in the competitive race. While Trump criticized her absence in Georgia, she was en route back to the East Coast after a three-day trip out West. On Monday, she canceled several informal campaign engagements in Las Vegas to meet with federal emergency management officials later that evening.
“We will do everything in our power to help communities recover,” she stated at FEMA’s headquarters. Although she received a briefing on the emergency response on Sunday, plans for her to visit the affected areas will only proceed when it is confirmed that her presence won’t hinder recovery operations. A White House source noted that she plans to be “on the ground as soon as possible.”
Biden announced he would travel to North Carolina on Wednesday. When asked about the potential disruption of Trump’s Georgia visit, he replied that he had “no idea,” but acknowledged that going to the site too soon could be a distraction. “We are giving them everything we have,” he reassured reporters. “We’re working hard.”
Despite Trump suggesting that Harris “ought to be down in the area” affected by the storm, two former FEMA directors remarked that it is often better to delay visits to disaster zones. “The president wants to get in there as soon as they can,” Craig Fugate, former FEMA administrator, explained. “In many cases, we had to make that judgment call: ‘Yeah, we’re at a point where it’s stable enough that them coming in is not going to be a disruption.’”
David Paulison, former FEMA head under George W. Bush, questioned the usefulness of Trump’s visit, stating, “I’m not sure how that helps because he has no power right now. But if people are very supportive of him, then maybe it’s good for him to be there also and talk to people that support him. That’s not bad. But it does eat up resources on the ground. You’ve got to be judicious with it.”
While in Valdosta, Trump praised the supplies he had brought, including water and other materials. "I brought a lot with us, many, many wagons of resources,” he stated while shaking hands with the crowd. However, it was uncertain whether these items were solely provided by Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian aid organization represented by Franklin Graham, who joined Trump at the site. Neither Trump’s campaign nor Graham’s organization had provided immediate comments regarding the supplies.
The scene at the Valdosta visit differed from Trump’s typical campaign rallies. He spoke to a small gathering of supporters and reporters, with noticeable security arrangements made in advance by the Secret Service, including the positioning of fallen bricks in a makeshift wall.
Amidst the backdrop of destruction from Hurricane Helene, both leaders are navigating the political and logistical challenges of a crisis response in a contentious election season.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Standing in front of debris from a furniture store in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump reiterated his unfounded claim that President Joe Biden wouldn’t speak to the state’s Republican governor, despite Gov. Brian Kemp stating he had spoken with the president the previous day and was grateful for the federal assistance received.
While addressing reporters who had gathered before his afternoon stop, Trump predicted that Biden was “sleeping,” criticized Harris for being “out somewhere campaigning, looking for money” a day earlier—when Trump himself was holding a rally in Pennsylvania—and insulted her running mate by calling him “Tampon Tim.”
Although he appeared to acknowledge the inappropriateness of the political tone during a crisis when reading from prepared remarks, stating, “As you know, our country is in the final weeks of a hard-fought national election. At a time like this when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters,” he quickly reverted to his usual rhetoric. “We’re not talking about politics now. We have to all get together and get this solved,” he said, but his subsequent comments suggested otherwise.
This blend of political campaigning and disaster response also highlighted the contrasting demeanor of Harris, who aims to project a more measured approach in the competitive race. While Trump criticized her absence in Georgia, she was en route back to the East Coast after a three-day trip out West. On Monday, she canceled several informal campaign engagements in Las Vegas to meet with federal emergency management officials later that evening.
“We will do everything in our power to help communities recover,” she stated at FEMA’s headquarters. Although she received a briefing on the emergency response on Sunday, plans for her to visit the affected areas will only proceed when it is confirmed that her presence won’t hinder recovery operations. A White House source noted that she plans to be “on the ground as soon as possible.”
Biden announced he would travel to North Carolina on Wednesday. When asked about the potential disruption of Trump’s Georgia visit, he replied that he had “no idea,” but acknowledged that going to the site too soon could be a distraction. “We are giving them everything we have,” he reassured reporters. “We’re working hard.”
Despite Trump suggesting that Harris “ought to be down in the area” affected by the storm, two former FEMA directors remarked that it is often better to delay visits to disaster zones. “The president wants to get in there as soon as they can,” Craig Fugate, former FEMA administrator, explained. “In many cases, we had to make that judgment call: ‘Yeah, we’re at a point where it’s stable enough that them coming in is not going to be a disruption.’”
David Paulison, former FEMA head under George W. Bush, questioned the usefulness of Trump’s visit, stating, “I’m not sure how that helps because he has no power right now. But if people are very supportive of him, then maybe it’s good for him to be there also and talk to people that support him. That’s not bad. But it does eat up resources on the ground. You’ve got to be judicious with it.”
While in Valdosta, Trump praised the supplies he had brought, including water and other materials. "I brought a lot with us, many, many wagons of resources,” he stated while shaking hands with the crowd. However, it was uncertain whether these items were solely provided by Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian aid organization represented by Franklin Graham, who joined Trump at the site. Neither Trump’s campaign nor Graham’s organization had provided immediate comments regarding the supplies.
The scene at the Valdosta visit differed from Trump’s typical campaign rallies. He spoke to a small gathering of supporters and reporters, with noticeable security arrangements made in advance by the Secret Service, including the positioning of fallen bricks in a makeshift wall.
Amidst the backdrop of destruction from Hurricane Helene, both leaders are navigating the political and logistical challenges of a crisis response in a contentious election season.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
