Trump, Harris change campaign plans to address Hurricane Helene devastation

Trump heads to Georgia, while Harris goes back to D.C. for hurricane briefings.

September 30, 2024, 11:59 AM

Former President Donald Trump will visit the city of Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the area over the last few days, while Vice President Kamala Harris is cutting short a campaign swing through Las Vegas to return to Washington to be briefed on the hurricane response by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

On Monday, Trump will receive a briefing on the hurricane as well as facilitate the distribution of relief supplies, his campaign said. In a post on social media, he said he would "bring lots of relief material, including fuel, equipment, water, and other things, to the State."

Trump is later expected to deliver remarks to reporters in front of the Chez What Furniture Store, whose owners posted pictures online of their store completely demolished by the storm.

An aerial picture shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Ga., Sept. 28, 2024.
John Falchetto/AFP via Getty Images

Harris said she intends to visit communities impacted by Hurricane Helene "as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations," according to a White House official. Harris, who was briefed by FEMA on the federal response to the hurricane, reached out to local officials, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

"We are deploying food, water and generators, and working to restore state and local leaders, we will provide whatever help they need in the days and weeks ahead," Harris said Sunday while rallying in Las Vegas.

She will learn more from FEMA during meetings in Washington on Monday, according to a White House official.

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Douglas, Arizona, on September 27, 2024.
Rebecca Noble/AFP via Getty Images

Trump's visit to Georgia comes after his recent criticism of President Joe Biden and Harris for their response to the natural disaster.

"She ought to be down in the area where she should be. That's what she's getting paid for, right? That's what she's getting paid for," Trump said at his rally Sunday in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Trump has attacked Harris' response to Hurricane Helene specifically, saying her delay in visiting the impacted region demonstrates that she isn't qualified to become president.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign event in Erie, Pa., Sept. 29, 2024.
Matt Rourke/AP

On Monday, Biden said called Hurricane Helene "not just a catastrophic storm, it's historic, history, making storm," and pledged to visit the impacted area once he can do so without being "disruptive," hopefully later this week.

"I also want you to know I'm committed to traveling to impacted areas as soon as possible. But, I've been told that it'd be disruptive if I did it right now, we will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any, any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis," Biden said Monday. "My first responsibility is to get all the help needed to those impacted areas."

Asked if Trump's visit to Georgia was causing a disruption, Biden replied "I don't have any idea."

An unidentified man paddles a canoe to rescue residents and their belongings at a flooded apartment complex after Hurricane Helene passed the area on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Ga,.
Ron Harris/AP

Biden, while returning home from the beach on Sunday, was adamant that his administration was doing everything possible to help the affected communities.

Asked by ABC News is there are more resources the federal government could be giving, Biden responded, "no, we've given them."

"We have pre-planned a significant amount, even though they didn't ask for it yet -- hadn't asked for it yet," Biden said Sunday.

Hurricane Helene's storm surge, wind damage, and inland flooding caused deviation and casualties in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents, demolishing homes and toppling trees. The storm has killed at least 107 people and left dozens missing.

ABC News' Molly Nagle, Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.