The Democrats’ Vice Presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, made her way to North Carolina on the tail end of Hurricane Helene. A day before she made landfall, Republican figurehead Donald Trump had visited the scene. Unsurprisingly, Harris’ visit was tainted by the spread of misleading statements around the federal disaster response. Prior to this, she endeavored to win hearts as a people’s champion by distributing meals in the storm-battered state of Georgia.
Joe Biden also took it upon himself to visit the hurricane-hit zones. On a two-day tour spanning across the Carolinas, Florida, and Georgia, Biden spent his time assessing the destruction caused by the tempest and having closed-door conversations with the impacted farmers. It’s amusing how both Biden and Harris have been vociferously boasting about their readiness to bail out the state without anything substantial to show.
The administration has made lofty promises of taking care of all the rescue and recovery costs. But one might wonder if this is just another ploy to paper over the reality of their struggle with managing the severe damage spread across the Southeast for the months to come.
In a letter composed toward the end of the week, Biden informed the congressional leaders about the sorry state of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund. Amusingly, he assured them that the Fund currently possesses all the adequate resources it needs to cater to immediate needs. Yet, he suggested a possible resource crunch towards the year-end. Such contradiction, indeed!
Biden didn’t hesitate to use the disaster as a platform to lobby for financial reinforcements for the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program. Ever a statesman, isn’t he? Meanwhile, over 200 lives were lost— the worst storm the U.S. mainland has faced since Katrina in 2005.
This dire situation could have been used as an opportunity to focus on climate change, a real issue afflicting our world. Instead, it has been simply politicized. These natural calamities are being used as campaign pit-stops for the presidential candidates. Doesn’t this reveal their agenda in clear light? Talk about misplaced priorities!
In contrast to this melodrama, Trump has taken a refreshingly blunt stance, unmasking the ‘climate change scam’ that has been repeatedly hyped up. During his visit to Fayetteville, North Carolina earlier this week, Trump was vocal about the inadequacies of the federal response.
Of course, the Democrats are busy patting their own backs. The Democratic Governor, Roy Cooper, made feeble attempts at damage control by reporting how over 50,000 people have signed up for FEMA assistance and around $6 million has been handed out. It’s like handing out a bandage for a broken limb!
On the other side of the political maelstrom, Harris is supposed to mark her presence in Charlotte, North Carolina. She plans to make a brief visit lasting around three hours. Quite a passing whirlwind for a state grappling with disaster, isn’t it?
Harris is trying to fill into the shoes that Biden has made a name for, feigning the empathy that Americans supposedly require during times of tragedy. Yet, reality begs the question if this is genuine or just a political face for public consumption. She declared earlier in the week her intention to ‘personally observe the devastation.’
It’s baffling to hear her describe the devastation as ‘extraordinary.’ It felt more like a cinephile describing the latest blockbuster hit than a politician empathizing with the plight of the citizens. Quite a human touch right there, when ‘people are coming together’ and ‘helping perfect strangers.’
Harris’ spiel about how ‘people have more commonalities than differences’ is an obvious, token statement. It seems like a last-ditch effort to create an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ dynamic. This kind of tactic doesn’t do much to instill confidence in the people.
In conclusion, Harris offers an empty reassurance: ‘We are here for the long haul.’ Are these words to believe, or merely lip service in the wake of an unfortunate catastrophe? In the end, the people are left to ponder their plight and wonder who truly has their best interests at heart.