Kamala Harris to survey Helene damage in Georgia, future trip planned for North Carolina
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Augusta, Georgia on Wednesday to tour damage caused by flooding from Hurricane Helene, with a future trip also in the works for North Carolina.
Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, will survey the impacts of Hurricane Helene and receive an on-the-ground briefing about recovery efforts in the state, the White House said. Harris will also provide updates on federal actions in support of the emergency response in Georgia and other states in the Southeast.
A White House official confirmed that Harris in the coming days will also travel to North Carolina, where the western part of the state including Asheville was battered by the storm.
More: Streets of mud: Helene dashes small town's hopes in North Carolina
More: Biden to visit North Carolina to tour Helene damage as Trump chides response
President Joe Biden is set to visit North Carolina and South Carolina on Wednesday to survey damage from the hurricane and update communities about federal relief efforts. Both Biden and Harris said they wanted to wait to visit storm-damaged areas so their presence would not pose disruptions during the immediate emergency response.
The speed, quality and disputes over federal aid could have election ramifications in the battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia, both ravaged by flooding.
Harris' Georgia trip comes after former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, on Monday visited Valdosta, Georgia, where he received a briefing on the hurricane's devastation.
In remarks during his stop, Trump insisted he wasn't there to talk about politics, yet he falsely claimed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was unable to get a hold of Biden to discuss the recovery. In fact, Biden and Kemp talked to each other Sunday.
Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: VP Harris to survey Helene damage in Georgia, North Carolina