Former President Donald Trump spoke at a furniture store in Hurricane Helene-ravaged Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday where he said the day wasn’t about politics — only to use the moment to continue to slam President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for what he claimed was a poor response.
“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,” Trump said of the Georgia community hit by the hurricane.
But at the same time Trump suggested Biden and Harris weren’t doing enough in the aftermath of the hurricane, which hit several states including Georgia and North Carolina — two battlegrounds in the upcoming election.
Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, speaks with press as he visits Chez What Furniture store which was damaged during Hurricane Helene, Sept. 30, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
“They’re being very nonresponsive,” he said, claiming that they had failed to speak to Georgia’s GOP Gov. Brian Kemp when Kemp said they had.
“Let me get this straight — he’s lying,” Biden shot back at a late afternoon storm briefing in the Oval Office when reporters asked about Trump’s claim about the response. “I don’t know why he does this, and the reason I get so angry about it — I don’t care about what he says about me, I care what he communicates to the people that are in need. He implies that we’re not doing everything possible. We are. We are.
President Joe Biden, right, speaks with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, on screen at center right, and Administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Deanne Criswell, onscreen at center left, about the Biden administration’s efforts to aid in recovery from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene from the Oval Office of the White House, Sept. 30, 2024.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
“So, it’s simply not true. It’s irresponsible,” Biden said.
The Trump campaign said it partnered with humanitarian aid nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse to bring relief supplies to Georgia. A campaign official claimed it brought one gas tanker and two trucks full of supplies to Valdosta.
During his remarks, the former president said, “We have a lot of truckloads of different items, from oil to water to all sorts of equipment that’s going to help them.”
However, in a carefully curated statement, the campaign later said it had “partnered” with Samaritan’s Purse, suggesting Trump didn’t independently bring supplies, only partnered with the nonprofit already at the scene.
“President Trump partnered with Samaritans Purse to provide truckloads of critical, much needed resources for the people of Georgia including fuel and construction supplies,” Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokesperson, said.
The campaign did not respond to multiple questions asking to clarify what it meant by “partnered.”
Earlier Monday, Biden said he has directed his team to “provide every, every available resource as fast as possible” to the affected communities to help them rescue, recover and begin to rebuild.
Then on Monday afternoon, Harris spoke at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, where she’d gone to get a briefing after canceling campaign events and flying back from Las Vegas.
“I have received regular briefings on the impact of Hurricane Helene, including from Administrator Criswell,” she told FEMA workers. “And over the past 24 hours, I have spoken with Governor Kemp of Georgia, Governor Cooper of North Carolina, and many local officials.”
She said she would visit when she wouldn’t disrupt the response.
“I have shared with them that we will do everything in our power to help communities respond and recover, and I have shared with them that I plan to be on the ground as soon as possible. But as soon as possible without disrupting any emergency response operations, because that must be the highest priority, and the first order of business,” she said.
Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood Randall on Monday said there are currently 3,500 federal response personnel deployed and supporting response efforts across the region, and additional personnel is expected to arrive in the coming days.
“Search and rescue efforts by state, local, and federal partners are ongoing, and nearly 600 additional personnel will arrive in the region in the coming days, increasing the total number of urban search and rescue personnel to over 1,250,” she told reporters.
An unidentified man paddles a canoe to rescue residents and their belongings at a flooded apartment complex after Hurricane Helene passed the area on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Ga,.
Ron Harris/AP
FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are also getting generators ready to be deployed to states that request them.
While communication remains a major challenge for the impacted area, Sherwood-Randall said, “FEMA will install 30 Starlink receivers in western North Carolina to provide immediate connectivity for those in greatest need.”
Biden, while returning home from the beach on Sunday, was adamant that his administration was doing everything possible to help the affected communities.
Asked by ABC News is there are more resources the federal government could be giving, Biden responded, “no, we’ve given them.”
“We have pre-planned a significant amount, even though they didn’t ask for it yet — hadn’t asked for it yet,” Biden said Sunday.
Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris takes part in a briefing on damage to North Carolina from Hurricane Helene, at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters, in Washington, D.C., Sept. 30, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
“We are deploying food, water and generators, and working to restore state and local leaders, we will provide whatever help they need in the days and weeks ahead,” Harris said Sunday while rallying in Las Vegas.
On Monday, Biden said called Hurricane Helene “not just a catastrophic storm, it’s historic, history, making storm,” and pledged to visit the impacted area once he can do so without being “disruptive,” hopefully later this week.
“I also want you to know I’m committed to traveling to impacted areas as soon as possible. But, I’ve been told that it’d be disruptive if I did it right now, we will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any, any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis,” Biden said Monday. “My first responsibility is to get all the help needed to those impacted areas.”
An aerial picture shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Ga., Sept. 28, 2024.
John Falchetto/AFP via Getty Images
Asked if Trump’s visit to Georgia Monday was causing a disruption, Biden replied “I don’t have any idea.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Biden was “taking caution to avoid using critical resources that is needed right now, on the road, that, on the ground that people need,” and added that “should be everyone’s top consideration right now.”
Asked if there requests for the Trump to delay his visit, Jean-Pierre didn’t engage directly, repeating Biden’s desire to not take away from resources, but adding “he believes everybody should adhere-adhere to that.”
Hurricane Helene’s storm surge, wind damage, and inland flooding caused deviation and casualties in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents, demolishing homes and toppling trees. The storm has killed at least 107 people and left dozens missing.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle, Cheyenne Haslett, Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Will McDuffie and Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump recently criticized Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris for their response to Hurricane Helene in Georgia. Trump accused the duo of not taking the necessary actions to help those affected by the natural disaster.
In a tweet, Trump stated, “Biden and Harris are nowhere to be found in Georgia as Hurricane Helene wreaks havoc. They are too busy playing politics instead of helping those in need. Sad!”
In response, Biden fired back at Trump, accusing him of lying and spreading false information. Biden stated, “I have been in constant communication with Georgia officials and have offered my support and assistance in any way possible. Trump’s claims are baseless and only serve to distract from the real issue at hand – helping those affected by the hurricane.”
The back-and-forth between Trump and Biden highlights the ongoing political tensions surrounding natural disasters and the government’s response to them. Both candidates are vying for the support of voters in Georgia, a key battleground state in the upcoming election.
Hurricane Helene has caused widespread damage in Georgia, with many residents facing power outages, flooding, and property damage. The response from local officials and emergency services has been swift, but the situation remains dire for many affected individuals.
As the presidential election draws near, both Trump and Biden are using the hurricane as a platform to showcase their leadership abilities and commitment to helping those in need. The exchange of criticisms and accusations between the two candidates underscores the high stakes of the upcoming election and the intense competition for votes in key swing states like Georgia.
Ultimately, it will be up to the voters to decide which candidate they believe will best serve their interests and address the pressing issues facing the country, including natural disasters like Hurricane Helene. The response to this crisis will undoubtedly play a role in shaping voters’ opinions and influencing their decision at the ballot box.
