Criticism over the federal response to Hurricane Helene has come from both sides of the political aisle, but the media has especially zeroed in on Donald Trump’s remarks, trying to debunk them.
"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 going to come through, but he's been calling the president, hasn't been able to get him," Trump said during a speech in Valdosta, Ga., on Monday. "But they'll come through, I'm sure."
Biden didn’t particularly care for that characterization, telling reporters on Monday evening, “He’s lying and the governor told him he was lying. The governor told him he’s lying. I’ve spoken to the governor, spent time with him, and he told him he’s lying. I don’t know why he does it … that’s simply not true, and it’s irresponsible.”
However, even the liberal media has acknowledged that Biden-Harris administration has felt some pressure to do more because of Trump's "swift response" to the disaster. In addition to visiting the affected areas, he launched a GoFundMe campaign for victims of Hurricane Helene, which, as of this writing, has raised nearly $4.6 million — well over its original $1 million goal.
“Trump's swift response to the disaster, including his visit to Valdosta, has put pressure on the Biden administration to demonstrate its commitment to affected communities,” wrote Newsweek. “Meanwhile, Harris has faced criticism for her initial absence from the affected areas. She was campaigning in Las Vegas over the weekend but cut her trip short to return to Washington, D.C., where she participated in briefings at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters.”
The problem with Biden’s claim is that Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) has, indeed, slammed the Biden-Harris administration for not doing enough.
“When the first emergency declarations came down, there was only 11 counties in that,” Kemp told WRDW 12’s Meredith Anderson. “A lot of people were outraged — including me — because there was such devastation in, you know, up to 90 counties.”
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“So we called the White House,” he continued. “We spoke to the president's chief of staff, the FEMA administrator and said, ‘Look, you're sending the signal that you're not paying attention to some of these rural communities.’”
It wasn't until after Kemp's call that the administration added 30 more counties to the disaster declaration. Why such a call was needed is certainly a question worth asking. And Kemp wasn't happy about it.
Gov. Kemp says he was "outraged" that only 11 counties were included in the FEMA Disaster Declaration:
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 3, 2024
"We called the White House... and said... you're sending the signal that you're not paying attention to some of these rural communities."
Why were the RURAL COMMUNITIES left… pic.twitter.com/Qi1SDUWxG6
Meanwhile, FEMA is reportedly out of money after having wasted resources providing services and housing to illegal immigrants who have crossed the southern border in record numbers under Biden-Harris.
Despite the media's best efforts to provide cover for the Biden-Harris administration's terrible response to Hurricane Helene, criticism has been bipartisan. During an appearance on The Faulkner Focus on Fox News Tuesday, former Bill Clinton advisor Doug Schoen blasted the administration's response.
“I'm speechless,” he told Fox News. “Having worked in a White House that was responsive […] Vice President Harris and President Biden should have been in North Carolina. They should have been there for substantive reasons. They should have been there for political reasons and personal reasons.”
The media wants us to believe that the Biden-Harris administration is doing a good job, but the reality is much, much different.
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