Trump tours Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia, falsely says Biden and Kemp haven't spoken
WASHINGTON - Former President Donald Trump pursued the politics of disaster on Monday as he traveled to the storm-hit battleground state of Georgia to survey damage from Hurricane Helene.
Trump held off on direct criticism of President Joe Biden and his 2024 White House rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, as he visited a devastated area of Valdosta, Georgia. Trump told reporters "we're not talking about politics now," but he did attack Biden and Harris' hurricane response in the hours leading up to the trip.
Trump on Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform mocked a Harris statement and photo about a hurricane briefing she received. In another post about his trip to Valdosta, Trump said "I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government."
Administration officials said it is not advisable for Harris or Biden to travel now because local leaders are still assessing the extent of the damage and trying to save lives.
In his public remarks in Valdosta, Trump said "we do need some help from the federal government." He also said, falsely, that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp – a Republican who did not appear at the event – was trying to reach Biden about relief, but had not been able to get him.
The White House quickly pointed out that Biden and Kemp had indeed spoken. Biden on Monday criticized Trump's comments, saying "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, but I care what he communicates to the people that are in need. He implies that we're not doing everything possible.
Trump said he brought truckloads full of relief with him to Georgia, including fuel, water and equipment. The former president tried to encourage residents as they recover from the remnant of a Category 4 storm that led to at least 100 deaths and more than 2 million homes and businesses across the region still without power.
"I would have bought some furniture, if you had some in there," Trump said he told the owners of a local store that fell to the hurricane.
"It's called an hour of need," the Republican presidential nominee also told supporters in Georgia. "You're in our prayers." In brief remarks, he vowed "We have to all get together and get this solved."
Still, during a speech Sunday in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump accused Biden of "sleeping" in Delaware while Helene tore through the South.
The Trump presidential campaign added Monday's trip to Valdosta to its schedule on Sunday. The campaign said in a statement Trump would "receive a briefing on the devastation of Hurricane Helene, facilitate the distribution of relief supplies, and deliver remarks to the press."
Trump and his aides have already started to criticize the Biden administration's response, including the lack of a visit by either Biden and Harris, even as officials on the ground are just now assessing the extent of the damage. Administration officials have said Harris and Biden do not want to divert police and first responders for VIP security as they are just starting recovery and clean-up.
"The Vice President intends to visit impacted communities as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations," said an administration statement.
Some opponents criticized Trump and accused him of interfering with local responders.
In one of his critical Truth Social posts, Trump said he also wanted to visit ravaged North Carolina - another battleground state - but "access and communication is now restricted, and we want to make sure that Local Emergency Management is able to focus on helping the people most affected."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump surveys Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia