Kamala Harris was in San Francisco for a campaign fundraiser on Sunday, and by Monday, Joe Biden announced that there would be no additional federal aid for Hurricane Helene victims. It's just another example of the incompetence and indifference we've come to expect from the Biden-Harris administration when it comes to handling disasters.
Thankfully, Donald Trump stepped up to fill the leadership void.
President Trump gave a speech in Valdosta, Ga., addressing Hurricane Helene's aftermath. During the speech, Trump not only pledged support and praised ongoing relief efforts, but he also discussed aid distribution. He emphasized unity, acknowledged victims, and called for more federal assistance to affected areas.
"We're here today to stand in complete solidarity with the people of Georgia and with all of those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene," he said.
"The town is, very, very badly hurting, and many thousands are without power," he added. "They're running low on food and fuel. We brought a lot of it down with us. It's gonna be distributed now or soon throughout Georgia as well as, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee. That's a big one. And the devastation wrought by this storm is incredible."
Related: The Biden-Harris Federal Response to Helene Is a Total Disaster
"Homes, hospitals, highways, and cars have been plunged underwater," Trump continued. "Entire neighborhoods have been turned into lakes. Nobody's seen anything like it. And every family that's been displaced here in Georgia and North Carolina, who's which has really been hit. We're going there also and, they don't have communication."
Trump wasn't just there to talk the talk. In addition to helping bring supplies, he announced that he had spoken with Elon Musk to ensure that affected areas have WiFi available for communications.
"I just spoke to Elon, I'm getting him," Trump said. "We wanna get Starlink hooked up because they have no communication whatsoever. And Elon will always come through and we know that. And so we're working on that, getting them hooked up. They asked me whether or not that would be possible. We're gonna try and get the Starlink in there as soon as possible because they have no communication. And throughout the region, our hearts are with you, and we are, going to be with you as long as you need it."
Trump also noted that even though we're in the middle of an election, we have to put politics aside during a crisis.
"As you know, our country is in the final weeks of a hard-fought national election. But in a time like this, when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters. We're not talking about politics now. We have to all get together and get this solved. We need a lot of help. They have to have a lot of help down here. We look out for one another. We pull together. We pitch in. We persevere and we pull it through. That is really the American spirit."
FULL REMARKS: President Trump Visits Valdosta, Georgia to Deliver Relief to Victims of Hurricane Helene pic.twitter.com/yn9RIiZ1NU
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) September 30, 2024
"The people on the ground are doing the best they can in every challenging circumstances," Trump said later. "We do need some help from the federal government. They have to get together, ideally, with the governor. That governor needs to — he's been trying to get them and, I'm sure they're gonna come through, but he's been calling the president — hasn't been able to get him, but they'll come through, I'm sure. And Georgia and North Carolina need the help, probably worst of all but, North Carolina has really been hit. They have really been hit. Nope. They say nobody's seen anything like that at all. Every part of these communities has been affected by this, brutal storm and countless Georgia cotton and pecan farmers."
Conditions in North Carolina are so dire after Hurricane Helene that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), whose state was also hit, urged the federal government to focus its efforts on North Carolina, stating that Florida “has what we need.” DeSantis emphasized that Florida has the necessary resources, while North Carolina still has ongoing rescue operations that require federal support.
Meanwhile, President Biden has indicated that the federal government will provide no further aid, claiming that the administration has already given “everything that we have.” Despite the urgency in North Carolina, the Biden-Harris administration appears to have fumbled the response, though Harris managed to secure a photo op while only pretending to care.
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