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President Joe Biden has accused Donald Trump of “lying” about the White House’s response to Hurricane Helen, which killed more than 100 people and left 600 missing in the southeastern United States.
The disaster, including widespread flooding and property damage, was less than a month away until the US presidential election pitted Trump against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, affecting two battleground states of North Carolina and Georgia.
The Biden administration and local officials have struggled to provide support to the worst-hit parts of the state, where tens of thousands of survivors are stranded without electricity or running water.
Trump, who rushed to south Georgia on Monday to talk about the hurricane’s impact, quickly tried to blame Biden and Harris for being slow to react.
“The governor is doing great,” Trump said, referring to Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. “But he’s having trouble getting the president on the phone. They’re very unresponsive.”
But Kemp has no complaints about Biden, who said he spoke with him and the president said, “If we have other things, call him directly, I appreciate it.”
Speaking at the White House on Monday afternoon, Biden slammed Trump’s words. “The governor told him he was lying, he was lying,” the president said. “That’s why I’m so angry [is] I don’t care what he says about me, but what he communicates to those in need.
Earlier, Biden pledged to coordinate with local governors to provide all the government’s assistance to storm-affected communities. He also said that he would seek disaster relief funds from Congress.
“We’re not leaving until the job is done,” Biden said. “We’ll be there as long as it takes.”
He said he plans to travel to North Carolina on Wednesday but only after it is clear that his and his entourage’s visit will not disrupt the operations of first responders. Harris returned to Washington from Nevada and met with federal emergency management officials over the weekend after a series of campaign rallies and fundraising events. “The true character of a nation emerges in difficult moments,” he said. “We responded as best we could.”
US officials said many communities affected by the storm were isolated, so the extent of the damage was unknown.
Biden did not estimate how much additional funding he would seek from Congress to respond to the storm, but lawmakers would need to be recalled from their pre-election recess to vote on aid.
Conservative Republicans have sometimes opposed federal funding for disaster relief, or insisted that the money be offset by spending elsewhere, which would complicate its passage.
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