North Carolina’s second-largest newspaper criticizes Trump for his ‘ridiculous’ response to Helene

North Carolina’s second-largest newspaper criticizes Trump for his ‘ridiculous’ response to Helene, labeling it as filled with ‘falsehoods.’

North Carolina’s second-largest newspaper’s editorial board has condemned Donald Trump for his ‘ridiculous’ response to Hurricane Helene, calling it riddled with ‘falsehoods.’ The criticism comes as Trump faces backlash for politicizing the response to the hurricane affecting the southeastern United States.

Last week, Trump visited Georgia to assess hurricane damage alongside the state’s governor, Brian Kemp—a former adversary who, like many Republicans, has rejoined the Trump camp in search of political support.

On Monday, he criticized Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration in a Truth Social post, alleging that they were “going out of their way to not help people In Republican areas, a statement that has been called false was made. A Republican lawmaker from three counties in western North Carolina, which is mostly rural and conservative, called this accusation a “junk” conspiracy.

In an interview with Kellyanne Conway, one of his most fervent defenders on cable TV before her significant departure from the networks, he escalated his claims by accusing Harris of attempting to “hurt” the residents of western North Carolina.

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On Saturday, Trump’s assertions drew a reaction from one of the state’s most prominent newspapers, the Charlotte Observer. The Observer’s editorial board criticized the former president for his falsehoods regarding the federal response to Hurricane Helene, which is thought to have claimed over 100 lives in the state.

Donald Trump was in Georgia last week to survey damage from Hurricane Helene and attack his opponent with false claims about the federal response. (Getty Images)
Donald Trump was in Georgia last week to survey damage from Hurricane Helene and attack his opponent with false claims about the federal response.

“This is not a moment to exploit for political advantage. However, former President Donald Trump has politicized the situation at every opportunity, disseminating falsehoods and conspiracies that divide the community rather than uniting it,” stated the newspaper’s editorial.

“”There is no evidence to back up any of those absurd claims. Furthermore, all indications suggest that state and federal agencies have been actively working to assist those in need,” it added.

The Observer emphasized that the hurricane-affected regions of the state should not be treated as a “political football” by the Trump campaign. Additionally, the publication criticized the state’s Trump-endorsed lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, for promoting conspiracy theories. The rationale behind this criticism is evident: Robinson is facing a significant crisis in his campaign following a startling CNN investigation that revealed a screen name and email address associated with him was connected to a range of troubling activities.

Harris was in the state on Saturday, where she visited Asheville, a city that experienced severe flooding during the storm.

“””We’re committed for the long haul,” she said to a volunteer leader.

Robinson was also highlighted in the article for missing a crucial vote to declare a state of emergency while he was campaigning for the governorship. Despite his absence, the vote was still approved.

Hundreds are feared dead after Hurricane Helene unleashed devastating floods and triggered landslides that destroyed bridges and homes. It has now become the second-deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. in over fifty years.

Federal aid for Hurricane Helene survivors has already exceeded $45 million, and that figure is expected to grow. According to FEMA’s website, the disaster relief agency has distributed over 1.5 million meals and more than 12.6 million liters of drinking water as part of its assistance efforts. Additionally, President Joe Biden announced the deployment of 500 National Guard members, who will be equipped with “advanced technological assets,” to western North Carolina.

The agency has had to create a dedicated webpage to address misinformation and conspiracy theories related to Hurricane Helene relief efforts. This includes allegations from right-wing social media accounts asserting that aid is being allocated based on ethnicity.

Thom Tillis, North Carolina’s senior senator, responded to the former president’s false claims on Sunday.

“We can talk about the shortcomings of this administration’s border policies and the billions of dollars they are costing, but for now—at least not yet—it is not impacting the flow of resources to western North Carolina, according to Face the Nation.