Washington, Oct 2 (Alliance News): US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit hurricane-ravaged areas on Wednesday following deadly Hurricane Helene, amid criticism from Donald Trump, who has politicized their response. The hurricane has claimed over 155 lives, with many still missing across multiple states.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will visit regions severely affected by Hurricane Helene, which has wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States, killing at least 155 people and leaving hundreds more unaccounted for.
Biden, 81, will travel to North Carolina, where he will survey the flood-hit city of Asheville by helicopter and visit a rescue command center. The hurricane has claimed the lives of more than 70 people in the state. Biden is also scheduled to visit South Carolina and Florida in the coming days.
“My top priority is to ensure the communities devastated by this hurricane get the help and support they need as quickly as possible,” Biden told reporters on Tuesday, explaining his earlier delay in visiting the affected areas due to ongoing rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, who has taken over as the Democratic presidential nominee for the upcoming election, will travel separately to Georgia, another heavily impacted state. Both North Carolina and Georgia are pivotal swing states in the upcoming November 5 election.
Republican candidate Donald Trump, 78, has criticized the Biden administration’s response to the disaster. Without providing evidence, Trump accused the government of neglecting his supporters in the aftermath of the hurricane. He also slammed Biden for “sleeping” at his Delaware beach house while Harris attended campaign fundraisers on the West Coast.
Trump, who visited the disaster-stricken town of Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday, pledged to deliver fuel, water, and other relief supplies, turning his visit into a political spectacle as he seeks to gain support ahead of the election.
