Trump, Kemp make rare joint appearance in Helene aftermath
Former President Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Friday made their first public appearance together in years, putting aside simmering tensions to highlight how Hurricane Helene has devastated the state.
The two leaders toured storm damage in the community of Evans, meeting with local officials and families and offering support for those impacted by the storm. While Trump has attacked Kemp as recently as August, he offered kind words for the governor as he spoke about recovery efforts.
“Your governor is doing a fantastic job, I will tell you that,” Trump said in front of a stack of supplies, including diapers, bottled water and paper towels.
Asked specifically about the state of his relationship with Kemp, Trump called it “great.”
“We work together. We’ve always worked together very well,” he said.
Republicans have been keen to see Trump and Kemp patch things up given the importance of Georgia in November's election. Trump narrowly lost the state in 2020, and polls show him locked in a tight race there with Vice President Harris.
The former president spent the weeks following the 2020 election pressuring Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to challenge the results.
Trump supported a primary challenger against Kemp, former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), in 2022, but Kemp defeated him and won the general election by a wider margin than he did in 2018.
Trump repeatedly attacked Kemp at an Atlanta rally in August, leaving Republicans scratching their heads as to why he wasn’t focused more on Harris, who had recently risen to the top of the Democratic ticket.
Kemp told CNN he did not vote for Trump in Georgia’s presidential primary in late May, though he has endorsed Trump in the general election.
Friday’s visit marked the second time this week Trump traveled to Georgia to look at storm damage. He traveled to Valdosta on Monday and was not joined by Kemp.
Kemp told reporters on Friday at least 33 Georgians had died as a direct result of Hurricane Helene, and that the storm had wiped out a large percentage of the state’s crops.
Trump touted his efforts to encourage Elon Musk to provide Starlink satellites to help restore communications in hard-hit areas, and he cited donations from prominent businessmen like Larry Ellison and Steve Witkoff to help with the recovery.
The former president attacked the Biden administration’s response to Helene as “terrible,” repeating a false claim that has grown prominent among Republicans that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spent disaster relief funds to assist migrants.
The White House earlier Friday called such claims “poison” and argued it was distracting from ongoing recovery efforts and preventing those in need from getting the help they needed.
Kemp earlier in the week expressed his appreciation for the role the federal government has played in responding to Hurricane Helene, contradicting comments from Trump, who claimed Monday that the governor had trouble reaching Biden.
Date: | |
Tag: | Donald Trump |
-
Top stories - ABC News
Trump, Kemp make rare appearance together to survey Hurricane Helene damage
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and former President Donald Trump will appear together to survey Hurricane Helene's impact on the state.2 hours ago - Donald Trump -
Top stories - NBC News
JD Vance addresses Melania Trump's comments on abortion
Trump to make appearance alongside one-time opponent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp11 hours ago - Abortion -
Top stories - CBS News
Biden makes rare White House briefing appearance
President Biden took some questions at the White House press briefing during a rare appearance to tout the latest jobs report that exceeded economists' expectations. Biden also weighed in on his ...4 hours ago - Joe Biden -
Politics - CBS News
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp appears with Trump for first time since 2020
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed former President Donald Trump, despite Trump's criticism of him over 2020 presidential election.7 hours ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - The Hill
Watch live: Trump, Kemp tour Hurricane Helene damage in Georgia
Former President Trump is taking time off the campaign trail Friday morning, linking up with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) to survey the damage left by Hurricane Helene in the battleground state. The ...4 hours ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - NBC News
Trump joins Georgia Gov. Kemp at briefing on Hurricane Helene damage
NBC News' Shaquille Brewster fact-checks former President Trump's attack against FEMA during an event on Hurricane Helene damage.1 hour ago - Donald Trump -
Top stories - CBS News
Why Iran's supreme leader appeared with rifle in rare sermon
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a rare sermon in Tehran and praised the missile attack against Israel. CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer has more on Iran messaging strength behind ...4 hours ago
More from The Hill
-
Politics - The Hill
Bipartisan lawmakers urge Biden to seek release of Americans detained in China
Two congressmen asked President Biden to further advocate for the release of wrongfully detained Americans in China in a letter Friday. “American citizens are serving long prison terms in China; ...23 minutes ago - Joe Biden -
Politics - The Hill
Iran's supreme leader makes rare speech after attacks on Israel
Iran's leader defended his country’s missile strikes on Israel this week, calling them “correct, logical, and lawful” in a rare public speech in Tehran on Friday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a ...38 minutes ago - Israel -
Politics - The Hill
Harris joined ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast to talk abortion rights
Vice President Harris joined host Alex Cooper on her popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast for a discussion on reproductive rights, the campaign told The Hill. She sat Tuesday for the popular podcast ...1 hour ago - Abortion -
Politics - The Hill
Democrats irked over 'pro-choice' GOP candidates
Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Dems irked as GOP rivals tout ‘pro-choice’ positions A handful of Republican candidates running for ...1 hour ago -
Politics - The Hill
Watch live: Trump holds town hall in North Carolina
Former President Trump is holding a town hall event in the critical swing state of North Carolina Friday evening. The event comes just hours after he was scheduled to join Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp ...1 hour ago - Donald Trump