"He's lying": Biden blasts Trump's political play over storm
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Former President Trump surveys the damage in Valdosta, Ga., on Monday. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Former President Trump on Monday tried to take political advantage of the devastation from Hurricane Helene — and drew a scolding from President Biden, who called Trump a liar.
Driving the news: Trump began the day on Truth Social, posting unsubstantiated claims that Biden's administration and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) were "going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas" affected by Helene.
- "He's lying ... and the governor told him he was lying," Biden said of Trump at the White House on Monday.
- "I don't know why he does this," Biden added. "I don't care what he says about me. I care about what he communicates to people that are in need. He implies that we're not doing everything possible. We are."
During a visit to Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday, Trump also claimed that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, hadn't been able to reach Biden to discuss the damage to Kemp's state.
- But Kemp said earlier in the day that he'd spoken with Biden at 5 p.m. Sunday — and praised the administration's response to the storm.
Zoom in: Trump's false accusations reflected the risks of injecting loose, campaign-style rhetoric into the ongoing recovery from a disaster that left a triple-digit death toll and millions without water or electricity in six southern states.
- Two of the hardest-hit states — North Carolina and Georgia — are among the six or seven battleground states likely to decide the Nov. 5 election.
- Trump's campaign was quick to point out that Trump was in the affected region while Biden and Vice President Harris were not.
- But the White House indicated that a presidential or vice-presidential motorcade visiting the area that is still in the early stages of recovery would unnecessarily stress recovery efforts.
- Biden plans to visit the region Wednesday; Harris said she'd be there "as soon as possible without disrupting any emergency response operations."
Between the lines: Trump, meanwhile, arrived in Georgia with truckloads of supplies, including water and fuel. Officials in Valdosta, Georgia, told NBC they were happy for the aid — but some wished Trump would have waited a few days until they were better positioned to receive it.
- "We're not talking about politics now," Trump insisted, speaking in front of a badly damaged building in Valdosta.
- But he had already made clear moments after he arrived that his visit was at least partly political by making his false claims about Kemp being unable to reach Biden.
A statement by Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt seemed to confirm Trump's political play.
- "Neither Kamala Harris nor Joe Biden have showed up anywhere," Leavitt said. "This is another example of the total lack of leadership from the White House during times of crisis."
