Just days after Hurricane Helene pummeled the Southeastern United States, Donald Trump flew to Valdosta, Georgia for a campaign trip. More than 130 people are dead, and first responders from across the country have traveled to help in areas hardest hit. The federal government's response has been extensive, with FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission, the National Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Department of Defense all on the ground.
Critics blasted the ex-president for his "photo-op." Some noted someone took bricks from a collapsed furniture store to create a make-shift podium area for Trump.
Who had to build the little brick wall around him amid recovery efforts? https://t.co/5Oet2sQVHU
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) September 30, 2024
CBS News Congressional Correspondent Scott MacFarlane, on the ground during Trump's visit, described the scene as "a whole sea of bricks and debris."
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"They put up a podium and a loudspeaker system," MacFarlane reported. "All these tractor trailers you see behind me, these were used to help secure the event, and Secret Service to help protect the former President as he spoke in the open air, in public. We spoke to a number of the folks who live here about this visit, this campaign visit, even as police are trying to help this community respond, they had to help build quite a perimeter here. Took manpower. It took time. It took first responders to help secure this space."
Describing the citizenry's response as "ambivalence," MacFarlane says in Valdosta, the "presidential campaign visit didn't register so much with so many people here one way or the other."
Before his arrival in Valdosta, Trump posted on social media he had intended to also visit North Carolina, but given the situation on the ground he was going to wait.
“I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas. MAGA!”
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Former U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) responded to Trump's social media remarks, saying: "This is why he will lose. When I speak of the exhausted majority this is what I’m talking about. He must, must, must politicize everything. Always needs to turn something into red v. blue, stoke some grievance etc. the exhausted majority will wholly reject him."
Trump's claim angered many, and appeared to be in direct opposition to the facts reported by numerous media outlets, the White House, FEMA, other emergency government operations, and governors of the affected states.
There were no actual, credible reports that victims in "Republican areas" were not being helped, much less intentionally being ignored.
NBC News's Garrett Haake added that Trump "had been saying on Truth Social that he believes Democrats, specifically the governor of North Carolina and the federal government, have been intentionally denying aid to Republican parts of the Tar Heel State. I asked him, what if any evidence he had to back that up."
"Very difficult to hear his response, there on that clip," Haake said, "but his answer was, 'take a look,' essentially, I've got nothing to show you right now, go find it yourself. Another from the kind of Trump staple of responses when pressed on something like this. I tried to follow up with him a little bit further down the rope line but didn't have any better luck there."
Haake: Trump had been saying on Truth Social that he believes that Democrats have been intentionally denying aid to Republican parts of the state. I asked him what evidence he had to back that up, you can see what he said here pic.twitter.com/phF3OLo7Ak
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 30, 2024
In 2017, as President, Trump denied North Carolina “99 percent of federal recovery funds for Hurricane Matthew,” PBS News reported. In 2020 Trump refused to approve federal disaster relief funds for California in the wake of its devastating wildfires, after insisting the state should have "raked" the forest floors. In 2018, Trump's administration blocked about $20 billion of congressionally-approved funds for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, then obstructed an investigation into its actions, NBC News reported in 2021.
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