Trump Visits North Carolina in Wake of Hurricane Helene & New Revelations about How He Played Politics with Disaster Relief While in Office

Raleigh, N.C. — Former President Donald Trump visits Fayetteville today, a week after the state suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene. His visit comes on the heels of a recent Politico exposé highlighting that while in office, Trump only agreed to send disaster aid to California after an aide showed him how many of his supporters lived in the affected area. 

This is a pattern of behavior for Trump, who downplayed damage after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, diverted FEMA relief funds to ICE, and rolled back flood risk building standards. His visit also comes after a New York Times story demonstrating how the Republicans in North Carolina’s legislature rejected building standards that would limit the impact of extreme weather, leaving residents vulnerable: 

“Over the past 15 years, North Carolina lawmakers have rejected limits on construction on steep slopes, which might have reduced the number of homes lost to landslides; blocked a rule requiring homes to be elevated above the height of an expected flood; weakened protections for wetlands, increasing the risk of dangerous storm water runoff; and slowed the adoption of updated building codes, making it harder for the state to qualify for federal climate-resilience grants.”

North Carolina deserves elected officials who will have the vision to combat climate change before it comes to our doorsteps, and in the face of disaster, will lead with character, strength, and empathy. Another Trump presidency would put our state in danger. 

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