Vice President Kamala Harris visited North Carolina on Saturday, just one day after Republican candidate Donald Trump‘s visit, to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Harris began her visit by attending a briefing with state and local officials, where she expressed gratitude for their work and promised ongoing federal support. She praised the efforts of strangers helping each other in the aftermath of the storm, saying it showed “the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.”
Harris’s visit was her second to the disaster zone in four days, following a trip to Georgia earlier in the week. She helped distribute meals, toured the damage, and consoled families affected by the storm. The visit was also a chance for Harris to demonstrate her empathy and leadership in the wake of a humanitarian crisis, a role that President Joe Biden has often filled in the past.
Despite Trump’s claims that the federal response to the disaster has been “lousy,” Democratic Governor Roy Cooper said the state was “deeply grateful for the federal resources that we have.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been working on the ground in North Carolina since the start of the disaster, providing aid and support to those affected.
Donald Trump. (Via Donald Trump./Twitter)
The Trump administration’s response to Hurricane Helene has been criticized for being slow and inadequate, with some areas receiving little or no aid. However, Harris’s visit showed that even in the midst of a political campaign, the government is willing to provide support and assistance to those affected by natural disasters.
In addition to visiting North Carolina, Harris has been vocal about the need for more federal support for disaster relief. In a letter to congressional leaders, Biden wrote that while FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund has the resources it needs for now, it faces a shortfall at the end of the year. He also called on lawmakers to act quickly to restore funding to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program.
The visit also marked a rare moment of bipartisanship in the midst of a hotly contested election year. While Trump falsely accused the Biden administration of not doing enough to help people in Republican areas and harshly criticized the response, Harris’s visit showed that politicians can put aside their differences to provide support and assistance to those in need.
In the face of such devastation, Harris’s visit was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always the possibility for humans to come together and show compassion and empathy for one another.
