Trump claims Hurricane Helene response ‘going even worse’ than Katrina
Former President Trump on Thursday repeatedly attacked Vice President Harris and the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene by claiming that the federal response so far has been worse than Hurricane Katrina in the latest instance of him turning a natural disaster into a political advantage.
Trump held a rally with supporters in Saginaw, Mich., where he repeatedly claimed the federal government did not have enough funds to respond to the devastation in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had spent its money on migrants, a notion the White House pushed back heavily on.
“There’s nobody that’s handled a hurricane or storm worse than what they’re doing right now,” Trump said. “Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants. Many of whom should not be in our country.”
The White House spent the last 24 hours pushing back on Republicans who echoed similar, unsubstantiated claims.
“This is FALSE. The Disaster Relief Fund is specifically appropriated by Congress to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate impacts of natural disasters,” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernández Hernández said in a statement. “It is completely separate from other grant programs administered by FEMA for DHS.”
Biden has also called on Congress to return from recess to pass additional funding to assist with the recovery efforts. The House and Senate are not due to return to Washington until after the election.
Despite that, Trump went on to call the federal response to Helene “the worst response in the history of hurricanes.”
“A certain president, I will not name him, destroyed his reputation with Katrina,” Trump said, referring to former President George W. Bush. “And this is going even worse. She’s doing even worse than he did.”
The Biden administration has deployed more than 4,800 federal officials to support response efforts, and the president directed the deployment of up to 1,000 troops to assist in North Carolina’s recovery.
President Biden traveled Wednesday to North Carolina to tour storm damage, and he visited Florida and Georgia on Thursday to do the same. He was notably not joined by either Republican governor of either state. Harris traveled to Georgia on Wednesday and is expected to visit North Carolina in the coming days.
The federal government has also been working with states to provide housing assistance for those who need it and to restore power amid widespread outages. Biden has approved major disaster declarations for Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to free up additional resources.
Trump has spent much of the week attacking his political opponents for the response to Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people across multiple states. It is the deadliest storm since Hurricane Katrina, which caused nearly 1,400 fatalities.
It’s only fed Trump’s history of politicizing responses to natural disasters.
He repeatedly feuded with officials in Puerto Rico as multiple hurricanes hit the island in 2017, the first year he was in office when he claimed without evidence that Democrats had inflated the death toll from Hurricane Maria to make him look bad.
Trump in 2019 insisted Alabama could bear the brunt of Hurricane Dorian, which ultimately landed on the East Coast. In making his claim, Trump used a marked-up projection map produced by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration that conflicted with information given by weather forecasters.
During devastating wildfires in California in 2018, E&E News reported Thursday that White House officials had to show then-President Trump voter data to convince him to release funding for California wildfire victims, hesitating to give money to a blue state.
“You can’t only help those in need if they voted for you,” Biden posted on the social platform X in response to the report. “It’s the most basic part of being president, and this guy knows nothing about it.”
Date: |
-
Top stories - BBC News
Helene is deadliest mainland US hurricane since Katrina
Hundreds of people are still missing and nearly a million homes are without power a week after the storm tore across the US south-east.59 minutes ago -
Top stories - NBC News
Hurricane Helene death toll nears 200, deadliest since Katrina
The devastating impact of Hurricane Helene is still being felt across the South as the death toll rises to nearly 200. Communities across the region continue to struggle without vital supplies like ...11 hours ago -
Top stories - NBC News
Hurricane Helene's death toll tops 200
At least 202 storm-related deaths have now been confirmed in the wake of Hurricane Helene, making it the deadliest storm to hit the United States in decades. Meanwhile, the search for survivors and ...7 hours ago -
Politics - The Hill
What to know about the damage from Hurricane Helene
The damage from Hurricane Helene could total more than $160 billion, and it is already the second-deadliest hurricane in a quarter-century, according to estimates. Since Helene made landfall in ...4 hours ago -
Politics - The Hill
US troops deploy after Hurricane Helene
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story National Guard responds to Hurricane Helene The U.S. has deployed ...1 hour ago -
Top stories - ABC News
Hurricane Helene live updates: Helene death toll reaches 200
Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane -- the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.7 hours ago -
Business - Financial Times
Anglo American chief says not ‘inevitable’ buyer will emerge after group slims down
Wanblad plays down prospects of new bid after failed BHP takeover attempt6 hours ago -
World - The Guardian
Harris says unlike Trump she has never wavered from upholding oath to defend US constitution – live
Vice-president criticizes opponent at Wisconsin campaign event with Liz Cheney. In a new Truth Social tirade on Thursday morning, Donald Trump accused Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of poorly ...16 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - The Hill
Evening Report — Inside the special counsel case against Trump
Plus: Gen Z, Millennials run for Congress {beacon} Evening Report © Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press file Inside the special counsel case against Trump Special counsel Jack Smith outlined his ...2 hours ago - Donald Trump
More from The Hill
-
Politics - The Hill
Helene survivors face new dangers from contaminated water, mold
Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story The need for clean water after Helene With Hurricane Helene dissipated, the recovery process is underway. ...49 minutes ago -
Politics - The Hill
Harris edges Trump by 2 points in new national poll
Vice President Harris edged out her rival, former President Trump, by 2 points in a national poll released Thursday. The new NPR/PBS News/Marist survey found Harris outpacing the former president ...54 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - The Hill
OpenAI's for-profit shift
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter {beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story OpenAI moves away from nonprofit foundations The ChatGPT maker's plans to restructure as a for-profit ...1 hour ago -
Politics - The Hill
Asheville shows even 'climate havens' are vulnerable
Click for the latest from The Hill {beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Asheville shows even 'climate havens' are vulnerable Western North Carolina, and specifically ...1 hour ago -
Politics - The Hill
GOP rep: Pence's life 'wasn't really in peril' when Trump said 'So what?'
Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) said former Vice President Mike Pence’s life “wasn’t really in peril” when former President Trump allegedly said “So what?” on Jan. 6, 2021, in response to an aide alerting ...1 hour ago - Donald Trump