In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, former President Donald Trump has once again shown more leadership in responding to a disaster than the current occupants of the White House. Meanwhile, the media has entirely ignored Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s disgraceful lack of action.
As rescuers begin to sift through the destruction from one of the worst storms to hit the southeast in living memory, the death toll has already topped 100, with hundreds more still missing. In western North Carolina, where some areas saw as much as 30 inches of rain, entire towns have been wiped off the map by flooding, while others remain only accessible by air.
Trump was on the ground in Georgia on Monday surveying the damage, meeting with first responders and volunteers beginning cleanup efforts. “We’re here today to stand in complete solidarity with the people of Georgia and with all of those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” Trump said.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump added that he would be delivering “a lot of relief material, including fuel, equipment, water, and other things to the State.” He also announced that he had been in communication with Elon Musk to set up Starlink satellite internet for victims amid widespread power outages and destroyed cell phone towers.
Trump’s visit could not have presented a starker contrast to the lethargic – if not outright disinterested – response from the Biden-Harris administration. Though the White House, to its credit, quickly approved disaster declarations for affected states, unlocking some emergency funds, Biden and Harris themselves were completely missing in action.
As vast swaths of the country were decimated by flooding, President Biden – as he has been for so many other disasters, from the Maui wildfires to the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio – was on the beach in Delaware for a long weekend. When he finally did return to the White House, Biden snapped back at a reporter who asked the president why he was on the beach instead of in Washington. “It’s called a telephone,” he said.
Harris, meanwhile, was on the campaign circuit, including attending a swanky fundraiser in San Francisco.
It was only after Trump said that he would be visiting the affected areas that the White House scrambled to announce plans for Biden to visit as well. Shortly thereafter, Harris’s official account posted a picture on X of the vice president supposedly receiving a briefing from FEMA on Air Force Two – just a few minutes after Trump’s plane touched down in Georgia.
As Daily Mail reporter Charlie Spiering pointed out, Harris’s photo op bears a striking resemblance to the infamous photo of George W. Bush surveying Hurricane Katrina damage from Air Force One in 2005. Yet while Bush was eviscerated by the corporate media, there has been no similar reaction to Harris this time around.
The Helene response is just the latest in a shameful pattern of inaction from the Biden-Harris administration. It took Biden more than a year to visit the East Palestine train derailment site, even though the president found time to fly halfway around the world to Ukraine in the meantime.
In contrast, Trump visited the Ohio town just a few weeks after the incident, along with organizing truckloads of supplies and purchasing lunch for first responders at a local McDonald’s. The former president also directly called out Biden for ignoring the crisis, appearing to prompt increased attention from the administration.
When deadly wildfires decimated the town of Lahaina in Hawaii last August, Biden likewise expressed a callous disinterest, twice telling reporters “no comment” when asked about the disaster while reclining on the beach. The president finally made it to Hawaii weeks later – following a stop at billionaire Tom Steyer’s Lake Tahoe mansion.
In both cases Kamala Harris was nowhere to be seen.
For Harris’s campaign, this latest delayed response has the chance to become something akin to what Hurricane Sandy was for Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2012. That storm, which battered the northeast just weeks before Election Day, gave Barack Obama the chance to seize the national spotlight by beating Romney to the impacted area and flooding the airwaves with footage of the president “looking presidential.” The media also pounced on prior comments from Romney suggesting that he would pursue cuts to FEMA and other federal emergency response operations.
An analysis of exit poll data from the American Enterprise Institute shows Obama’s Hurricane Sandy moment may have made a critical difference for him in the final days of the race, and Romney himself later acknowledged that it was a tough way to close out a campaign.
The effect from Hurricane Helene won’t be exactly the same this time around, primarily because the media is in the tank for Kamala Harris and not Donald Trump. But Americans have always respected leaders who are active and hands-on, something Trump displayed throughout his first term and reminded voters of this week.
Politics aside, Trump’s visit did what presidential visits are supposed to do – lift the spirits of the people picking up the pieces of their broken lives and keep the attention of the country focused on communities in desperate need of assistance. On both of those fronts, Biden and Harris have come up woefully short.
Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
Biden and Harris have done zero to halt illegals pouring into this country scooping up any freebies they can. So why would one think that they would help US citizens in time of crises?
Yet another example of how much Democrats actually care about the American people.
Gee good thing they’re not George W Bush cuz I sure remember the criticism he took for Katrina… such as “he hates black people”. Napping on the Delaware beach, mouth open, and fundraising in Las Vegas and LA? Good look. Remember “Kamala cares about the middle class”! BS
Criticizing Biden and Harris about their less than enthusiastic response to national disasters is like shooting fish in a barrel. Pretty much everybody understands the agenda of the Democrats, and it doesn’t include concerns about any kind of trauma on the common American citizen.
What’s more disconcerting about Kamala in particular, is that she is profoundly obtuse even without the dementia like affliction of Joe Biden. However, the worst aspect about the people who usually vote for Democrat candidates is that millions of them routinely vote for bigger government, (read larger government checks). It does not matter a wit that Kamala is just as clueless as Biden. The taxsuckers would vote for a garden slug if it had a name, and that name appeared on the line of Democrat candidates.
Lame duck?? I think a real dumb duck. He is just doing what is his normal presidential actions. The beach house and the beach is much more important than millions of peoples lives, right?? And meanwhile kackels knee pads is hobnobbing in hollywood with all the filthy rich liberal socialists, on her knees for money?? Meanwhile The President Trump is bringing relief to some of the poor displaced Americans. I bet slow joe will print a few billion $$dollars$$ for the ukraine and maybe a little bit for the hurricane victims?? Biden and Harris themselves were completely missing in action. Please Vote, and Vote for the children and the Republic…..VOTE ***MAGA 2024***
Those two are a disgrace. President Trump does care about the American people; all classes. MAGA
NYT/WT headlines: “Biden Catatonic while Harris Awaits for Orders from Whoopi, Sources Say!”
As usual, Trump is active while the Kackler and her boss are schmoozing with their celebrity friends! They probably had to wake Joey up to tell him what was going on.
The disparity between Trump and Harris is SO tremendous. All she does is CACKLE!
Biden Harris don’t care about Americans. This has been shown again and again. In the Ohio train disaster, the fire in Hawaii, and the invaders coming across the border by the millions. They get an allowance, housing, health care and education ahead of poor and hungry Americans. The lack of empathy shown by Biden. On Sunday or maybe it was Saturday he had a smile on his face when asked about the disaster in N.C., Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. And then no reaction from Harris only a video of her laughing with the Hollywood elites. We know where her priorities are. Then we get a fake photo op in her plane back to DC. She is not even capable to hold a press interview. And what is the reaction of MSM? Total silence. Just like the iCE report about the criminals that have come into the country under Biden Harris. The White House calls it misinformation. Everything is blamed on someone else. The only one that was presidential and cared was Trump. Of course that is totally ignored by the MSM. VOTE TRUMP/VANCE if you want a caring strong president to save us from the evil that is currently governing America.
Anybody in the flood zones who votes for Harris should be examined psychiatrically.
Why are WE paying for Harris to fly around campaigning on AF2?
When the dust settles and there’s been an accounting on the hurricanes’ monetary cost to the American citizens, I want to see a side by side comparison of taxpayer money, excluding government loans, given to actual Americans versus the dollar amount of total freebies given to illegals. It needs to be done by an independent source, not by the current administration who would only “cook the books” in defense of their open borders policy.
They are what they are and no more. To expect them to be what they are not, to do that, which they are incapable of doing is our inability to see or refusing to see the ugly reality. This is real not a fantasyland. Might as well expect the fish to fly.
How do you get this information out to the rest of the folks, those in the mainstream media blackout area (almost everywhere in the US), so they can see who is really interested in their plight? We know, but do they?
A 1958 book “THE NAKED COMMUNIST ” detail how to take over AMERICA .. infiltrate every facet of AMERICAN society , the government , the culture , the church , the media , academia , and so on , pushing to remove GOD from every nook , to destroy the family unit , raise the children outside the family , claim violence is part of the AMERICAN tradition ,,, while treating behavioral problems under the psychiatry not law enforcement , pervert sexuality , promote obscenity , feminize men & masculinize women , replace history , indoctrinate rather than educate ,forment rebellion , feed drug and other addictions , and eliminate ambition , all to transfer power . DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR … this is the plan & its working ,, That is why they want to eliminate DONALD J. TRUMP .. he is standing in there way ,
“Trump Puts Biden and Harris to Shame on Hurricane Helene Response”
Leftists are incapable of shame or embarrassment or they wouldn’t be Leftists.
They’ve done NOTHING to circumvent the longshoremen’s strike, either. Get ready for more skyrocketing prices at the pump and empty shelves at the grocery stores. FJB!!!!
Biden and Harris are Only looking out for themselves, they don’t give a Dam about people all She wants is Votes. Trump cares about people that is why they want him eliminated.Trump is the man..I wish the News would get on Trumps side.
Those of us whose insurance companies wouldn’t pay for legitimate damages on our claims (anyone watch 60 Minutes on this the other night) are still waiting on the Senate to vote on legislation to help those very much left hanging financially.
BTW, Do You All KNOW Really How SICK Demonrats ARE?? Carters Family Has Kept a Dead Person ALIVE Barely FOR THAT 100 YEAR MARK!….He’s Been DEAD Pretty Much Since Prior to His Wifes Death & Funeral LAST NOVEMBER!!….Months Ago, His “SON” Or Grandson Said He Wasn’t Even AWAKE Most Days…That Was MONTHS AGO!….SICK.. I Even Said It…Months Ago…They’re Keeping Him ALIVE For A RECORD!! Now That’s DEMENTED!
biden and harris could care less about the people in this country! They only care about their puppet masters and their control on this administration. Even the media is under their hateful control. When voters have had enough of this bull then you might see them for what they truly are and start using their brains and vote these useless jerks out!
I live in East Tennessee and to be honest, I didn’t expect much from the Communists except photo ops to help Dome and Tampon Tim for the election. However, having witnessed the destruction here firsthand and comparing the news coverage of Katrina vs. the lack of it during the aftermath of Helene, it is infuriating to see the media acting fully on behalf of Dome’s campaign for POTUS. During the aftermath of Katrina you couldn’t pick up a paper or watch TV without seeing the plight of US citizens in the gulf areas. Now, it’s like it was just a big storm here, no big deal to the MSM. I’m actually waiting for their expose on how fossil fuel use in Red states caused the storm to be much worse that it should have been. Trump/Vance 2024 MAGA
Biden & Harris need to be tried for treason. Inviting the worst of the worst into the country and treating them like welcome old friends has done more harm to our sovereignty than all the wars put together. Mayorkas and Garland too.
I vividly recall the negative media & political onslaught against Bush concerning hurricane katrina, however, since the msm is in the tank 100% for the demoncraps there will be no such 24 hour media condemnation for the likes of biteme or kackles. Lets go Brandon!!!
excellent article and sadly too true! Disgusted with existing management and can’t wait to get Trump back. He is a true American and does effective things because he truly cares about America.
Biden is just holding the phone up for show. It is nowhere near his ear and he is obviously writing or at least appearing to write something. Staged photo!
Biden and Harris do not care about America. ONLY the Money from China!
Does their response surprise you? So what else is new about their lack of concern? Same old, same old.
The Biden/Harris show is as plain as the nose on your face..They do not give a damn about the people. Power is their thing…Period. Vote Trump/Vance 2024 to keep our country, constitution and freedoms!
Ummm…Brian Kemp is the REPUBLICAN Governor of Georgia and has praised Bidens quick response for relief. This would be a good piece of propaganda but it’s under researched. This is the opposite of what actually happened…so why not just do the research and write a real opinion? I could pick out the lies without google. Do better.
A few years ago, I was investigating a move to one of the areas of North Carolina devastated by floods. Beautiful landscape–rolling hills, small towns, lots of woods and nature, friendly people…and lots of rivers and lakes. Downtown quaint Chimney Rock was a bustling place, attracting day trippers and shoppers to unique independent shops and restaurants. Charlotte, where I was living at the time, was only 1 1/2 hours away, and I made the trip often. The restaurants had outdoor seating so diners could enjoy watching and hearing the river from a short distance.
That’s one of the rivers that overflowed its banks. That lovely little town has been wiped out–totally gone! It all ended up in another beautiful town–Lake Lure–less than a mile away. As a gardener, I enjoyed visiting the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, which was planted with all sorts of flowers and trees and maintained by volunteers. All that remains of the bridge is a section of the concrete balustrade, standing in defiance of the destruction. So sad. And that’s only one small area affected by Hurricane Helene, with hundreds of people still missing. The donation I made to Samaritans Purse can’t touch the pain everyone feels for the loss of life and one of the most beautiful places in America.
And our elected leaders couldn’t care less.
Truth
I’m retired, living on Social Security alone. My car is paid for, as is my house, and I’m donating in $10 increments to defeat the incumbents. If the Republicans don’t win, then I fear that we will be experiencing a chastisement from heaven.
I was so proud….again….to see Trump WITH the PEOPLE. He belongs in the White House.
Biden/Harris noticeably absent. No shock.
Good for Trump.
Shame on FEMA!
Awesome leader with genuine compassion.
Where’s the Whitehouse????
Biden when asked said-” I was on the phone”. Now ANY person knows Biden can’t carry on a conversation for 2 hours or can hardly stay AWAKE that long.
Our current administration is more concerned with giving illegals cell phones, money, housing and on and on while taxpayers must fend for themselves. Where are you so called 80 million voters now? IMO
The democrat Governor of Georgia and the federal government deliberately ignore helping Republican counties in Georgia. Then Communist harris makes a FAKE photo showing she’s helping with Hurricane relief. And they run off at the mouth about unity when all they do is turn Americans against each other so they can stay in power and control and only give OUR MONEY to democrat ran states. Do your homework and see for yourself.
All BS, the government ahs spent far about Congress approved budget and they are responsible through fraud, payoff money not to disclosed the corruption and lies, and numerous other criminal and illegal action.
VOTE DONALD TRUMP! IT IS POICY, OUTCOMES, AND HHONESTY THAT COUNT, SURELY TO GET IT??
Biden and Harris do nothing for the people of this country all they do is for those that come into this country from the border and are not citizens of this country they give them the world
Remember that Racist Communist harris said Disaster Aid should be based on race.
The “Democrats” certainly do a lot of disingenuous posturing – which must be the understatement of all time.
Now maybe some of those individuals thinking about voting for Biden, should ask themselves–Where is he?
*** Vote {TRUMP}} !!!
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My Dad was a commercial plumbing and heating contractor , and Washington state ‘ they require drainage pits for big company property! And I worked for him many years ,and every city should know the high ground .and provide drainage pipe to a lower area, to a storm drainage lake!
Lol..yeah ok. It was a political move by Trump. What did he do? The only thing Trump did was make a political statement while Biden and Harris were making political decisions concerning the death and damage caused by the hurricane. And for these stupid comments and news reports.. Let’s look back at Trump’s statements and actions when the Hurricane hit Puerto Rico when he was in office. He did absolutely nothing!
Trump was totally wrong to say that the WH and Harris were not responding faster because the Governor was a Republican. This area is a disaster and is not the place for politics and whatever this was. Read what Gov. Kemp said about this comment.