VALDOSTA, Ga. — Former President Donald Trump visited Valdosta to survey the damage left by Hurricane Helene, accusing the Biden administration of not doing enough to help.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot reported that Trump criticized President Biden for being unavailable to speak with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, but both Kemp and the Biden administration said both men did speak by phone Sunday night.
Trump emphasized the need for national unity during times of crisis.
“In a time like this, when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters. We’re not totally about politics now. We have to all get together to get this solved,” Trump said.
Channel 2 Action News was there as Trump arrived in Valdosta, greeted by the city’s mayor and other officials.
His motorcade went through parts of the hurricane-damaged area, with a stop at the Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency.
He later went to downtown Valdosta, urging the country to come together to help those in need.
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But that differed from his tone at the airport, where Trump criticized the Biden administration’s response.
“They have to focus over here. It’s too big. This is a really bad one, and the governor is doing a good job, but he’s having a hard time getting the president on the phone,” Trump said.
Both Kemp and the Biden administration denied this, stating the two had spoken by phone on Sunday regarding the federal response.
The Biden administration also pointed out that the federal emergency declaration had been signed the previous week.
Atlanta State Sen. Jason Esteves criticized the visit, suggesting it was more about photo opportunities than recovery efforts.
“Local officials shouldn’t have the burden of trying to execute recovery efforts while also catering to a presidential campaign that only wants photo opportunities,” Esteves said in a statement.
Despite the controversy, Trump highlighted the efforts of Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse, which brought truckloads of supplies, including water and a tanker full of gasoline, to the affected area.
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