Former President Donald Trump on Monday landed in western North Carolina to survey the damage from Hurricane Helene, meet survivors, and thank volunteers who have been working to save lives.
Five states were affected by Hurricane Helene — Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. However, North Carolina was hardest hit.
Hurricane Helene was the deadliest hurricane to hit the continental United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with more than 300 deaths confirmed so far, and many still missing.
Although the storm made landfall on September 26, residents in the area are still reeling from the hurricane’s destruction. Many lost homes and all their belongings, and even loved ones.
Power has only recently been restored to many areas, although many homes are still using generators. Nearly the entire area lost running water, and residents are still advised not to drink tap water without boiling it first.
Trump spent time with local leaders and volunteers. One of them was former Green Beret Adam Smith, who established Savage Freedoms Relief Operation in the wake of the hurricane.
The group conducted aerial search and rescue missions in the earliest days of the hurricane, and has been helping survivors find food, shelter, water, medicine, and other critical supplies.
Trump told the people of western North Carolina, “We ask God to give you strength, comfort, and peace…When I’m President, I will stand with you until the communities are fully rebuilt.”
Deputy Trump campaign spokeswoman Margo Martin posted a video of the destruction Trump’s motorcade saw as they drove through Asheville, which was also heavily damaged.
Breitbart News spent seven days in western North Carolina, where residents expressed skepticism over the Biden-Harris administration’s response to the hurricane.
Vice President Kamala Harris announced $750 in “immediate relief” for survivors, which volunteers and denied applicants scoffed at.
One volunteer with Savage Freedom Relief Operations, Aaron Switzer, told Breitbart News that the $750 was a “slap in the face.”
With many businesses in the area completely destroyed, he asked, “How are they going to spend it? They can’t eat it. It’s a slap in the face.”
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