Trump politicizes Helene response in Georgia visit

What happened

Donald Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, Monday, bringing his entourage to one of the towns hit by Hurricane Helene. Trump criticized President Joe Biden's management of the storm's aftermath, claiming falsely that Biden had not spoken with Gov. Brian Kemp (R), even after Kemp confirmed the call. The death toll from Helene rose above 130 on Monday, with rescue and relief efforts focused in mountainous western North Carolina.

Who said what

Kemp is "doing a very good job," but "he's having a hard time getting the president on the phone," Trump said in Valdosta. The "federal government is not being responsive." Before those remarks, Kemp told reporters that Biden "called me yesterday" and said if Georgia needs anything else, just "call him directly, which I appreciate that." Trump is "lying, and the governor told him he was lying," Biden said at an Oval Office briefing on the federal response to Helene. "I don't know why he does this," but it hurts "the people that are in need."

Trump's comment was "revealing less for its dishonesty than for what it highlighted about his approach to federal disaster relief," which he views "through the prism of personal politics," The New York Times said. As president, Trump diverted funds from FEMA and threatened to withhold allocated money from "governors of blue states whom he saw as enemies" while "promising 'A-plus' treatment for his allies." He waited three years to approve disaster relief for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

Vice President Kamala Harris said at a FEMA briefing Monday she would visit hard-hit areas "as soon as possible without disrupting any emergency response operations," which "must be the highest priority."

What next?

Biden will visit western North Carolina on Wednesday, but "limit his footprint so as not to distract from the ongoing recovery efforts," The Associated Press said. Federal teams and aid groups were working yesterday to "deliver supplies by air, truck and even mule" to hard-hit Asheville and ravaged mountain towns nearby.

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