Donald Trump amplified a conspiracy theory questioning Kamala Harris' response to Hurricane Helene.
The former president questioned whether the vice president had actually been briefed on the catastrophe unfolding across multiple states, saying that a photo she shared of herself does not appear to show her headphones plugged into her cellular phone.
"Another FAKE and STAGED photo from someone who has no clue what she is doing," Trump posted on Truth Social. "You have to plug the cord into the phone for it to work! Biden and Harris abandoned Americans in Afghanistan. They sacrificed Americans to an Open Border, and now, they have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South. Under this Administration, Americans always come last, because we have 'leaders' who have no idea how to lead!"
The odd claim that Harris was pretending to take a phone call bubbled up from right-wing social media accounts to the conspiracy-mongering Gateway Pundit website before Trump shared it on his widely read social media account, and the vice president and her campaign have not commented on the call beyond her X post.
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" Criswell on the latest developments about the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene," Harris posted. "We also discussed our Administration's continued actions to support emergency response and recovery. I also spoke with Cooper about the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in North Carolina."
"Our Administration will continue to stay in constant contact with state and local officials to ensure communities have the support and resources they need," she added. "Doug and my thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones and those whose homes, businesses, and communities were damaged or destroyed during this disaster."
Harris will end her West Coast campaign trip early and travel Monday morning from Las Vegas to Washington, D.C., where she will be briefed at FEMA headquarters on relief efforts in the southeast following a storm that left more than 100 people dead and knocked out power for millions of people.
