Donald Trump, who’s never heard a baseless, unhinged conspiracy theory he didn’t proceed to amplify, claimed Monday that he’s gotten word that Democratic officials are purposely withholding aid from “Republican areas” of North Carolina ravaged by Hurricane Helene, a claim that does not appear to have any basis in fact and wildly politicizes a natural disaster that has killed at least 100 people.
On Truth Social, the ex-president wrote to his followers that he was “heading to Valdosta, Georgia, in order to pay my respects and bring lots of relief material, including fuel, equipment, water, and other things, to the State.” Then he threw this in: “I was also going to stop into North Carolina, which has really been hit hard. I have a lot of supplies ready for them, but access and communication is now restricted, and we want to make sure that Local Emergency Management is able to focus on helping the people most affected, and not being concerned with me. I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas. MAGA!”
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Later, he outrageously claimed, “Biden and Harris…have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South.”
Not surprisingly, Trump did not provide any evidence for any of these reports, which the New Republic notes “don’t seem to have any factual basis,” and that “Much of North Carolina votes Republican, so it would be near impossible for any relief efforts to occur that would neglect conservatives.” Additionally, the state’s Democratic governor has deployed the National Guard and Joe Biden pledged “every available resource, as fast as possible, to your communities, to rescue, recover, and to begin rebuilding.” Last week, the president declared an emergency in North Carolina and, per the White House, “ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Helene beginning on September 25, 2024, and continuing.”
Trump was tied with Kamala Harris in North Carolina, according to a CNN poll conducted earlier this month, so it’s not at all surprising that he would use a horrific natural disaster to try and score political points. Also not surprising: that he hasn’t mentioned that, during his time in office, he trashed local officials in blue states hit by hurricanes and wildfires, and, according to a former official, wanted to cut off federal aid from California because state residents didn’t support him.
Aside from…everything else…Trump apparently doesn’t know when hurricane season is
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