Trump to visit storm-ravaged North Carolina, wild-fire stricken California
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina - President Donald Trump's first trip since the start of his second term is set for Friday and is set to include stops in storm-ravaged North Carolina, wildfire-stricken California and a campaign-style event in Nevada.
"I'm going to North Carolina, very importantly, first," Trump told reporters on Tuesday evening from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, before confirming the rest of his itinerary about heading to the West Coast.
When Trump took the Oath of Office on Monday in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, he mentioned North Carolina, where Tropical Storm Helene wreaked havoc on many small towns, killing at least 104 people and displacing thousands more, making the tragedy a focal point in his inaugural address.
“Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina, who’ve been treated so badly, and other states that are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago,” Trump said.
Trump's travel plans were first reported by the New York Post.
North Carolina's new Democratic governor, Josh Stein, confirmed Trump's visit to his state during a winter weather briefing earlier on Tuesday in Greensboro.
"We just learned that the president is coming to North Carolina. I think that's very good news for the people of Western North Carolina, that this issue is front of mind of the new administration," Stein said in the live-streamed press briefing.
"I don't know what my schedule is on Friday but hope to be able to see him," the governor added.
Following the storm in October, Trump visited the hard-hit town of Swannanoa, North Carolina, where he spoke to press after he visited with supporters. Standing in front of the wreckage of a Swannanoa neighborhood, he continued to suggest that FEMA funds have been spent on unauthorized immigrants rather than to aid survivors. The claim, which has also been spread by Elon Musk and Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, has been debunked as false by Paste BN and fact checking agencies like PolitiFact.
Responding to a question about the recent arrest of a man who had issued threats against FEMA employees and whether continuing to sow doubt about FEMA's performance was helping the recovery, Trump deflected. He instead said that he's seen nothing but "very bad statements" about FEMA's performance and suggested that all of FEMA's money had been spent on "murderers," "drug dealers," and "terrorists."
Prior to Helene, Trump held a rally in downtown Asheville during his presidential campaign.
Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the Paste BN Network. Paste BN White House reporter Francesca Chambers reported from Washington.