Donald Trump has always been very generous during natural disasters, often showing up before the government with an 18-wheeler full of supplies.
He did it again this week, stopping in Georgia and forcing Biden and Harriss hand to visit the storm-ravaged area.
Talking Points…
- Trump visits Georgia
- Biden and Harris hand forced
- Analysis
Donald Trump has been hammering the campaign trail, and his latest move will surely force the hand of Biden and Harris. This weekend, Trump was campaigning in Georgia, where he showed up with a bounty for victims of Hurricane Helene. Trump arrived, stating:
"I've come to Valdosta with large semi-trucks, many of them, filled with relief aid.
"A tanker truck filled up with gasoline, a couple of big tanker trucks filled up with gasoline, which they can't get now. And we'll be working to distribute it throughout the day."
Kamala Harris was out west campaigning, and Joe Biden was back in Delaware at the beach, so neither of them presented a really good lock while Helene ripped apart states like North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. As a matter of fact, Biden got snippy with a reporter who asked him why he was not working at the White House to coordinate relief efforts. Biden snapped back, "I was on the phone the whole time." He also responded to Trump criticizing the response from the administration, adding:
"He's lying. I don't know why he does this. And the reason I get so angry about it — I don't care 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. We are."
While Trump has been criticizing the response, saying that Kemp could not get Biden on the phone. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp pushed back, saying that the administration has actually been doing its job. When Kemp was asked about the response from the White House, he responded:
"He just said, 'Hey, what do you need?' And I told him, you know, we got what we need. We will work through the federal process. He offered that if there are other things we need, just to call him directly, which, I appreciate that.
"But we've had FEMA embedded with us since, you know, a day or two before the storm hit."
It's not a good idea for Trump to make up stories if he does not have the facts, but regardless, it is still forcing Biden and Harris to have a more visible presence in the states that have been impacted. On Monday, Biden confirmed that he will be headed to North Carolina, stating:
"I'm going to North Carolina on Wednesday. It's planned now. We're going to be landing in Raleigh for a meeting with the Emergency Operations Center, and I'll then do an aerial tour."
Harris cut her West Coast swing short and returned to DC as well, and it is probably a safe assumption that she will either be on Biden's hip or doing her own tours. Harris' office confirmed that she would visit the affected areas "as soon as possible."
This is kind of a mixed bag, especially considering that Trump is already on the ground and handing out relief. What hurts Trump, however, is the lying. It would be one thing if Kemp had stated that Biden was not helping, but Kemp was very flattering to Biden on that front, so it is just not a good look for Trump to be stirring the pot, especially when his version of the story has been debunked by the very person he cites as having problems getting in touch with the administration. Not to mention, it is a fellow Republican fact-checking Trump on this front.
On the other hand, if Trump can already be there, why are Harris and Biden not there yet, especially Biden? Biden knew the storm was hitting but chose to return to Delaware for another weekend off. For Biden, it's all about optics, and he just does not seem to care or allow anything to get in the way of his weekends off in Delaware. This is a win for Trump, but it would have been much better had he not started telling lies again. The truth is enough here, so stop making up stories.
