VALDOSTA — Power crews and emergency storm responders remained hard at work across devastated South Georgia cities when former President Donald Trump visited to tour the damage — and take a few jabs at his political opponents.
The GOP’s presidential nominee spent Monday afternoon seeing Valdosta, parts of which remain in ruin in the wake of Hurricane Helene. He drew a crowd of hundreds to the city’s main street where the nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse handed out supplies and distributed gasoline. Samaritan’s Purse is the Christian relief and aide organization founded by evangelist Franklin Graham, who also toured Valdosta.
Political leaders have to walk a fine line when visiting areas wrecked by recent tragedy, and Trump’s campaign said his Valdosta visit will benefit the area’s residents more than his political career.
When asked by The Associated Press on Monday if he was concerned that his visit to Georgia was taking away law enforcement resources that could be used for disaster response, Trump said, “No.” He said his campaign instead “brought many wagons of resources.”
Trump campaign spokeswoman Morgan Ackley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the former president’s efforts provided “truckloads of critical, much needed resources for the people of Georgia including fuel and construction supplies.”
“Thank you for the president who has taken time to come and see it for himself,” said Graham during a prayer. “To shake hands, to encourage and to (bring) smiles to the faces of people that have been hurt and devastated by this storm.”
Ackley said an associated GoFundMe campaign raised more than $739,000 for storm relief. Former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler was the largest individual contributor, chipping in $500,000. Other large donors included attorney Dan Newlin, musician Kid Rock and retailer Bass Pro Shops.
Trump’s trip to Georgia was far from apolitical. He praised Gov. Brian Kemp’s response to Helene but falsely accused President Joe Biden of being “very nonresponsive” to the Republican governor’s calls. Kemp and Biden spoke Sunday evening. Trump also accused Biden of “sleeping” through the crisis and slammed Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival, for holding fundraisers in California after the storm hit.
Harris went straight to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees federal recovery efforts from disasters, after landing Monday in Washington, D.C.
