washington
CNN
—
The extent and scale of Hurricane Helen’s damage in Georgia and North Carolina, two key battleground states that could determine the outcome of the election, was significant, making the storm an issue in the immediate campaign. .
The Biden-Harris administration is grappling with what is expected to be a large and lengthy federal response, while former President Donald Trump also falsely claimed that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp “couldn’t do it.” They are trying to gain political advantage by making claims and attacking the government. It won’t reach President Joe Biden.
In the Oval Office on Monday, the matter became a notable political flashpoint, with Biden sharply rebutting Trump’s earlier claims and emphasizing that both men recognize the great risks. It became.
“The governor is doing a very good job,” President Trump said of Kemp during a visit to Valdosta, Georgia, earlier in the day.
But Kemp and Biden spoke on Sunday, and the Republican governor said at a news conference that Biden “offered to me that if I needed anything else, I could just call him directly. I appreciate that.” Ta.
Biden denounced Trump’s baseless claims during an Oval Office briefing on Monday, telling reporters: “He’s lying, and I told him the governor was lying.”
He further added, “I don’t care what he says about me. I care what he tells people in need. He’s not doing everything we can. We are. We are.
Trump also told reporters that he had spoken with Elon Musk to gain Starlink communications access in North Carolina. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has already announced that it has installed 40 Starlink satellite systems and plans to install 140 more. Mr. Musk’s Starlink is a government contractor, and Mr. Musk is an ardent supporter of Mr. Trump. The former president has indicated that Musk, who has made anti-Semitic and inflammatory statements, would lead the Federal Government Efficiency Commission if elected.
Meanwhile, while Biden and Harris have sought to mobilize strong efforts both in public and behind the scenes, the reality of federal storm preparedness is that the needed assistance may have a very long tail. many.
About 3,600 federal workers are currently deployed, and Biden approved major disaster declarations for Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. State and local officials from both parties have praised the Biden administration’s response so far.
The president and vice president have been on the phone throughout the weekend, and Harris has been juggling those briefings and calls with the California duo’s $55 million fundraiser and Sunday rally in Las Vegas. I tried. She will end her Nevada campaign and return to Washington on Monday to meet at FEMA headquarters and visit as many affected areas as possible.
Biden is scheduled to visit North Carolina on Wednesday, where he will be briefed at the state’s emergency operations center in Raleigh and then get a bird’s-eye view of the devastation in the western part of the state, where roads cannot accommodate the president’s motorcade.
Biden said his team is in “constant communication” with state and local officials.
He pointed to the efforts of FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Guard, saying, “I have directed my team to bring all available resources to the community as quickly as possible to begin rescue, recovery, and reconstruction.” said. , Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Defense.
Biden went on to say, “I’m here to tell all the survivors of these impacted areas that I’m with you for as long as it takes.”
As a former president, Trump is acutely aware of how Biden and Harris will be judged on how the federal government responds to hurricanes.
Over the weekend, President Trump held campaign events in Michigan and Wisconsin, Harris held a fundraiser on the West Coast, Biden was at his beach house in Delaware, and people in the storm’s path braced for impact. He criticized both Biden and Harris for leaving the White House during the pandemic.
And on Monday, Trump was the first of the three to visit areas affected by the storm. In Valdosta, they reportedly arrived with truckloads of relief supplies and gasoline. But the trip also required a heavy presence of law enforcement and emergency personnel.
The former president’s campaign has since launched an official Go Fund Me “as an official response to MAGA supporters offering financial support to our fellow citizens affected by Hurricane Helen.”
In addition to posting about his visit to Georgia on social media in the past 24 hours, President Trump has also promoted cryptocurrencies, calling Harris and Biden “the only way that Americans (left) are going to North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and other states.” “He was drowned in the area,” he said. South. ”
By keeping this storm at the forefront of political debate, Mr. Trump risks reminding voters of his response to catastrophes during his time in office.
“I would say to Donald Trump and his campaign to be really careful about politicizing this, which they usually aren’t,” said Doug Hay, a Republican strategist. Ta.