Trump Stands With Hurricane-Devastated North Carolinians. Where is Kamala Harris?
While Trump offers leadership and hope to survivors, the San Francisco Democrat offers platitudes
On October 21, former President Donald Trump visited Asheville, North Carolina and held a press conference with first responders, state officials, and victims of Hurricane Helene.
“Nothing you can do about it,” he remarked on “the power of nature” that wrought the devastation he noticed on his drive into the region. “But you’ve got to get a little bit better crew in to do a better job than what has been done by the White House.”
“I’m here in western North Carolina to express a simple message to the incredible people of the state,” he stated. “I’m with you. The American people are with you all the way. After January 20,” referring to the next Inauguration Day, “I think you’re going to have a new crew coming in to do it properly and help you in a proper manner.”
The former President went on to offer condolences to those who lost loved ones and pledged that if he wins on November 5, “every single inch of every property will be rebuilt better than it was before.”
Trump criticized FEMA’s sluggish reaction and promised to “slash through every bureaucratic barrier that you’re having problems with right now,” vowing if elected president to “personally recruit businesses from all over the world to help restore prosperity.” He also promised to use tax incentives and tariffs to bring new jobs to the region.
As Restoration News has covered, under the Harris regime FEMA spent $2 million on DEI initiatives even as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claimed that the agency didn’t have enough funds to help North Carolinians devastated by the floods.
In part that’s due to the over $500 million dollars spent by Harris-Biden on freebies for illegal aliens since the 2021 American Rescue Plan on housing, food, medical care, and other essentials intended for Americans.
Trump, in contrast, started a GoFundMe page to support victims of the devastated regions shortly after Helene tore through the region. During Monday’s remarks, he said that people have so far raised $8 million for survivors, $7 million of which has already been disbursed to local charities with guidance from local officials.
Trump held the press conference on the former site of Diamond 4X4, a small business owned by Black Mountain, North Carolina resident Brian Burpeau, destroyed by the unprecedented flooding.
“The devastation here is not anything I could have imagined,” said Burpeau at the press conference. “I had it in the back of my mind . . . if Trump would just show up. We need him. We need that shot of hope in the arm. We need to know we’re going to be okay and not forgotten.”
(RELATED: Kamala Raised $55 Million in California While North Carolinians Lost Everything)
No-Show Harris
Other speakers included Mike Stewart of Pineview Buildings, who also lost his business; Rep. Chuck Edwards (R); North Carolina State House Speaker Tim Moore; and U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R).
Budd noted that Trump’s team checked with him after the flooding to find out when he could make a visit. Trump mentioned that he visited North Carolina immediately after the storm but purposely stayed away from the disaster areas to avoid getting in anyone’s way during initial relief efforts.
Speaker Moore thanked Trump for coming. He still has not yet received a call from the Harris-Biden White House.
Trump went on to promise that if elected, he will stop putting aid to foreign countries ahead of American citizens. “We’ve been helping countries for 50 years, it never stops, and when we need help from them, they’re not there.”
He emphasized that North Carolinians must not let the flood devastation take away their voice and urged listeners to take advantage of early voting that has already begun in the state. He praised those who have lost everything, many of whom now live in the woods, yet still stood in line to exercise their right to vote.
When pressed by a reporter on his remarks regarding voting in the devastated areas, Trump emphasized that he considers voting secondary to survival and again praised North Carolinians’ tenacity for voting despite their dire circumstances.
“Obviously, we want them to vote,” he said. “But we want them to live, and survive, and be happy and healthy because this is really a tragedy.”
When a reporter criticized Trump’s harsh remarks toward FEMA, Trump reminded him that he was simply echoing criticisms heard form North Carolinians on the ground who have had a poor experience with the agency. He also reiterated his criticism of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. “All the money’s gone. They have to have a special meeting in Washington to get money.
“They spent it on illegal migrants.”
(READ MORE: North Carolina is Now #3 in the Nation for Illegal Alien Crimes)
