Trump Delivers Heartfelt Message In North Carolina
President Donald Trump arrived in hurricane-ravaged western North Carolina on Friday, delivering a heartfelt message to those urgently needing assistance.
Speaking to reporters, Trump explained his decision to visit North Carolina before California, citing the neglect and mistreatment of the Tarheel state’s residents under the Biden administration.
Trump sharply criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its handling of Hurricane Helene’s aftermath and pledged to “take over” the recovery process to ensure federal funds are used effectively.
Back in September, Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, resulting in 219 deaths and causing nearly $80 billion in damages.
“I’m stopping in North Carolina first because they’ve been abused by what’s happened. I mean, it’s terrible. It should have been done. It should have been — a lot of things should have happened that didn’t happen. So we’re here. We’re going to fix it. We’re working with the gentlemen behind me — you know who they are — and we’re going to fix it and fix it as fast as we can. It’s a massive amount of damage,” Trump told reporters.
The former president went on to condemn FEMA’s performance. “FEMA really let us down, let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over, and we’re going to do a good job,” he said.
Trump announced plans to work closely with local leaders, including Michael Whatley and the governor. “We’re going to supply the money — a lot of the money. Maybe you have to chip in something, you chip in a little something like maybe 25% or whatever. But we’re going to get it done as quickly as we can. And we want to take care of the people of North Carolina,” he added.
Trump also addressed California’s ongoing wildfire crisis, pointing out the stark differences in disaster responses. “It’s so interesting. Everybody’s talking about California, and that’s a mess. But I said, I’m not going to California until I stop in North Carolina. So here we are,” he said.
Trump criticized FEMA’s centralized approach to disaster management. “I like, frankly, the concept when North Carolina gets it, the governor takes care of it. When Florida gets hit, the governor takes care of it,” he explained, adding that FEMA’s current structure often results in delays.
He continued, “You have a group of people come in from an area that don’t even know where they’re going in order to solve immediately a problem is something that never worked for me. This is probably one of the best examples of it not working. And there’s been some others like it in Louisiana, etc. So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree.”
Trump concluded by advocating for states to take the lead in disaster response. “I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response,” he said.
He promised a plan for cleanup and rebuilding efforts, adding, “We’re going to go to the site now and we’re going to figure out a plan for really demolition and cleaning because not a lot’s been done. And we’re very disappointed in the Biden administration, but we’re going to make up for lost time.”
Later on Friday, Trump also visited wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles as part of his focus on areas where political decisions have influenced disaster response.
As he departed the White House, Trump reiterated his commitment to North Carolina’s recovery, saying, “We’re going to get it fixed up” and calling the situation “a horrible thing” that has been allowed to persist since Hurricane Helene struck.
Trump also criticized California authorities for policies he claimed contributed to the state’s worsening fires. “I would like to examine a fire that could have been extinguished if they had allowed the water to flow, but they did not,” he said.
Following a recovery briefing in North Carolina, Trump visited a small village near Asheville to meet with residents supported by Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian organization led by evangelical leader Franklin Graham.