Former Trump homeland security advisor slams ex-president for 'politicizing' hurricane disaster

01 October 2024

After Hurricane Helene inflicted widespread damage on the southeastern United States in late September — including widespread flooding, power outages and more than 120 deaths, according to The Guardian — former President Donald Trump was quick to politicize the tragedy.

Trump claimed that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were "being very nonresponsive," which inspired a scathing response from Biden as well as a fact-check from conservative Harris supporter Olivia Troye.

Biden angrily told reporters, "Let me get this straight: I don't know why he does this, and the reason I get so angry about it — I don't care about what he says about me, I care what he communicates to the people that are in need. He implies that we're not doing everything possible. We are. We are."

According to Republican Olivia Troye — who served a national security aide to former Vice President Mike Pence but endorsed Harris at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago — Trump has a history of politicizing tragedies.

In a September 30 post on X, formerly Twitter, Troye wrote, "Let me be very clear: As a Homeland Security Advisor in the Trump White House, I witnessed firsthand how Donald Trump politicized disaster relief, leaving devastated Americans waiting for help. Leaders across the country & government were calling my office, desperate for action as Trump failed them in moments of crisis."

The former Pence aide continued, "Today, he's once again failing Americans by distorting the facts & spreading lies. The reality? The Biden-Harris Administration is stepping up in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene with decisive leadership & a swift, effective response."

Trump falsely claimed that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was unable to reach Biden, but the Republican governor told reporters that in fact, he had spoken to Biden — who asked Kemp to call him directly.

Kemp told reporters, "(Biden) just said, 'Hey, what do you need?' And I told him, you know, we got what we need. We will work through the federal process."

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