WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration’s response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, even as his supporters have called for cuts to federal agencies that warn of weather disasters and deliver relief to hard-hit communities.
As president, Trump delayed disaster aid for hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico and diverted money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to finance an effort to return undocumented migrants to Mexico. And Project 2025, backed by Trump supporters, would restructure FEMA to limit aid to states and says that the National Weather Service, which provides crucial data on hurricanes and other storms, “should be broken up and downsized.”
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration’s response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, even as his supporters have called for cuts to federal agencies that warn of weather disasters and deliver relief to hard-hit communities.
Jason Whisnant, General Manager at International Moulding checks frames for damage from flooding due to Hurricane Helene in the production room of his store, a frame shop on North Green Street, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Morganton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
A worker moves debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Debris is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Monday, Sept. 30, at the Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C. (AP Photo/Gary Robertson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attends a briefing at FEMA headquarters, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Washington, on recovery and assistance efforts after Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attends a briefing at FEMA headquarters, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Washington, on recovery and assistance efforts after Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump walks outside the Chez What furniture store as he visits Valdosta, Ga., a town impacted by Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump claimed without evidence Monday that the Biden administration and North Carolina's Democratic governor were “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.” And Trump adviser Stephen Miller said President Joe Biden “failed to evacuate or rescue” U.S. citizens, “just like you failed in Afghanistan.''
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said officials have rescued and supported more than 1,400 people in areas impacted by the storm.
"This is what they do,″ she said, referring to rescue efforts by FEMA and other federal agencies.
“It doesn’t matter which state it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a red state or blue state,'' Jean-Pierre said Monday. "This is their job — to get food there, to get generators there, to save some lives, to rescue people. And so we are very proud of the work that they’ve done.″
Biden has approved major disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, allowing survivors to access funds and resources to jumpstart their recovery immediately. FEMA and other federal agencies, along with private businesses and nonprofit and faith-based organizations, are responding to the disaster in at least seven states, from Florida to Virginia.
The death toll from the storm surpassed 130 people, with some of the worst damage caused by inland flooding in western North Carolina.
On Mondy, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the presidential election, visited FEMA headquarters in Washington.
She called the devastation “heartbreaking” and vowed that she and Biden will make sure the impacted communities “get what they need to recover,” adding: “The true character of the nation is revealed in moments of hardship.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell surveyed damage with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday. She called flooding in the state “historic” and said the storm caused significant infrastructure damage to water systems, communication, roads, and critical transportation routes in multiple states, complicating recovery efforts.
During Trump’s term as president, he visited numerous disaster zones, including the aftermaths of hurricanes, tornados and shootings. But the trips sometimes elicited controversy such as when he tossed paper towels to cheering residents in Puerto Rico in 2017 in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
It also wasn’t until years later, just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, that Trump’s administration released $13 billion in assistance for the territory. A federal government watchdog found that officials hampered an investigation into delays in aid delivery.
Democrats in Congress also criticized Trump for transferring $155 million from FEMA’s operating budget to fund operations to return migrants to Mexico. FEMA officials said at the time that the transfer would not impact disaster relief, but organizations representing emergency planners criticized the move.
Trump also insisted that Alabama, along with the Carolinas and Georgia, would be hit “harder than anticipated” by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Trump displayed a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration map that was altered with a black Sharpie marker to extend the hurricane’s projected path to include Alabama.
Democrats and some voices in the scientific community have zeroed in on Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s 900-page blueprint of a hard-right turn in U.S. government and society, as proof that a second Trump administration would gut the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center.
Project 2025 calls for refocusing the National Weather Service on "commercial operations,” arguing that it should simply collect data for “private companies such as AccuWeather,” effectively ending public weather forecasting.
The document also calls for the next administration to review the work of the National Hurricane Center and says data collected by the center should be presented neutrally, "without adjustments intended to support any one side in the climate debate.”
Trump has denied that Project 2025 has anything to do with his campaign or second-term agenda. But he previously praised Heritage for the effort, which involved many conservatives who worked in or with his first administration.
During an appearance Monday in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump suggested that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp had been unable to get in touch with Biden regarding relief. But Kemp told reporters that he spoke with Biden the day before and that the president said to “call him directly” if the state has additional needs. “I appreciate that,” said Kemp.
FEMA uses its disaster relief fund to coordinate the federal response to major disasters. It pays for debris removal, repair of public infrastructure and financial assistance for survivors, among other things. The temporary spending bill passed and signed into law last week pumped about $20 billion into the fund and gave FEMA the ability to spend that money more quickly.
That should help the agency respond to the most immediate needs, but lawmakers from both parties recognize that additional money will be needed in the coming months. Lawmakers are expected to return to Washington shortly after the November election and negotiate a full-year spending bill when many lawmakers will seek billions of dollars more for the disaster relief fund.
Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Will Weissert and Kevin Freking in Washington, Jill Colvin in New York and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this story.
White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall speaks as White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre listens Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, during a press briefing at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Jason Whisnant, General Manager at International Moulding checks frames for damage from flooding due to Hurricane Helene in the production room of his store, a frame shop on North Green Street, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Morganton, N.C. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
A worker moves debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Debris is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Monday, Sept. 30, at the Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C. (AP Photo/Gary Robertson)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attends a briefing at FEMA headquarters, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Washington, on recovery and assistance efforts after Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris attends a briefing at FEMA headquarters, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Washington, on recovery and assistance efforts after Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump walks outside the Chez What furniture store as he visits Valdosta, Ga., a town impacted by Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.
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NEW/DEVELOPING
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Adds: FEDERAL-RESERVE-POWELL; BIDEN-IMMIGRATION; TROPICAL-WEATHER-PHILANTHROPY; UN-HAMAS-COMMANDER-UNRWA; CHEMICAL-PLANT-FIRE-WHAT-TO-KNOW; MUSIC-QUEER-WOMEN-POP; HAITI-HUNGER; UNITED-NATIONS-HAITI; ENT-OBIT-GAVIN-CREEL; ELECTION-2024-TROPICAL-WEATHER-FEMA; UN-GENERAL-ASSEMBLY-NORTH-KOREA; ENT-MUSIC-OASIS-TOUR; BBN-METS-BRAVES; ABORTION-GEORGIA; TROPICAL-WEATHER-40 TRILLION GALLONS-EXPLAINER; ENT-KRIS KRISTOFFERSON-A LIFE
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ONLY ON AP
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ELECTION-2024-VANCE-INFRASTRUCTURE — JD Vance once criticized a bipartisan 2021 law that invested billions in America’s crumbling infrastructure. He called it a “huge mistake” that spent taxpayer dollars on “really crazy stuff.” But the first-term Ohio senator and Republican vice-presidential nominee has still sought more than $200 million in funding through the law. By Brian Slodysko. SENT: 880 words, photo.
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TOP STORIES
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MIDEAST-TENSIONS — The Israeli military has launched small ground raids against Hezbollah and sealed off communities along its northern border as Israeli artillery pounded southern Lebanon and signals grew that more forces could soon be sent across the border to fight the Iran-backed militants. By Mathew Lee, Samy Magdy, Abby Sewell and Natalie Melzer. SENT: 1,220 words, photos, video, audio. With MIDEAST-TENSIONS-IRAN-ANALYSIS — Analysis: Iran reluctant so far to retaliate against Israel after airstrike kills Hezbollah leader; MIDEAST-TENSIONS-YEMEN — Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim shooting down another U.S.-made drone; MIDEAST-TENSIONS-US-TROOPS — The US is sending a few thousand more troops to the Middle East to boost security; ISRAEL-LEBANON-MIDEAST-TENSIONS:-PHOTO-COLLECTION; and MIDEAST TENSIONS-THE-LATEST; UN-HAMAS-COMMANDER-UNRWA — Top Hamas commander killed in Lebanon was an employee of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency who had been on administrative leave (all sent).
JEWISH HIGH HOLY DAYS-OCT. 7 — Known as “The Days of Awe,” Judaism’s High Holy Days, which begin on Wednesday, annually provide an emotional mix of celebration, introspection and atonement for Jews around the world. This year, for many, the emotions will be extraordinarily powerful, given that the midpoint of the 10 days spanning Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is Oct. 7 — the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and triggered the still-ongoing war in Gaza. By David Crary and Giovana Dell'Orto. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
Click here for more on the AP’s plans for the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks and the start of the war in Gaza.
TROPICAL-WEATHER — Widespread devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene has come into light across the South, revealing a wasteland of splintered houses, crushed cargo containers and mud-covered highways in one of the worst storms in U.S. history. The death toll rose to 121. SENT: 1,340 words, photos, videos, audio. With TROPICAL-WEATHER-BIDEN — Biden says he hopes to visit Helene-impacted areas this week if it doesn’t impact emergency response; HURRICANE-HELENE:-PHOTO-COLLECTION; TROPICAL-WEATHER-PHILANTHROPY — How to help those affected by Hurricane Helene; ELECTION-2024-TROPICAL-WEATHER-FEMA — Trump slams federal response to Helene, even as supporters urge cutbacks to federal disaster agencies; TROPICAL-WEATHER-40 TRILLION GALLONS-EXPLAINER — Here’s how Helene and other storms dumped a whopping 40 trillion gallons of rain on the South (all sent).
PORT-STRIKE — The union representing U.S. dockworkers has signaled that 45,000 of its members will walk off the job at midnight, kicking off a strike likely to shut down ports across the East and Gulf coasts. By Tom Krisher and Wyatte Grantham-Philips. SENT: 680 words, photos, audio.
ABORTION-GEORGIA — A Georgia judge on Monday struck down the state’s abortion law, which took effect in 2022 and effectively prohibited abortions beyond about six weeks of pregnancy. By Kate Brumback and Jeff Amy. SENT: 1,050 words, photo.
ELECTION-2024 — Donald Trump has repeatedly spread falsehoods about the federal response to Hurricane Helene despite claiming not to be politicizing the disaster as he toured hard-hit areas in south Georgia. By Chris Megerian and Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,110 words, photos, video, audio. With ELECTION-2024-THE-LATEST (sent).
BKN-OBIT-MUTOMBO — Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, has died from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. SENT: 1,010 words, photos. With BKN-OBIT-MUTOMBO-QUOTE-BOX — Reaction to the death of Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo (sent)
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RUSSIA-URAINE-WAR
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — The Russian government wants to earmark 32.5% of its spending next year for defense, a record amount and up from a reported 28.3% this year, as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine. SENT: 670 words, photos.
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MORE NEWS
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ENT-OBIT-GAVIN-CREEL — Gavin Creel, Tony Award winner and musical Broadway veteran, dies at age 48. SENT: 550 words, photos.
NYC-MAYOR-INVESTIGATIONS — NYC Mayor Eric Adams accepted harmless ‘courtesies,’ not bribes, his lawyer says. SENT: 710 words, photos, audio.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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BIDEN-IMMIGRATION — The Biden administration is tightening asylum restrictions at the southern border. SENT: 620 words, photos.
FBI-SEXUAL-HARASSMENT-SETTLEMENT — The FBI has agreed to pay more than $22 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging female recruits were singled out for dismissal in training and routinely harassed by instructors with sexually charged comments about their breast size, false allegations of infidelity and the need to take contraception “to control their moods.” SENT: 560 words, photo, audio.
ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-SHOOTING-ATTEMPT — A man who authorities say spent 12 hours camped outside Donald Trump’s golf course before Secret Service spotted him with a rifle pleaded not guilty on Monday to federal charges including attempted assassination. SENT: 470 words, photo. With ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-POLICE — Donald Trump suggests ‘one rough hour’ of policing will end theft (sent).
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NATIONAL
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ABORTION-PILLS-LOUISIANA — On Tuesday, Louisiana will become the first state in the U.S. to categorize two widely used abortion pills as “controlled dangerous substances.” SENT: 860 words, photo.
CHEMICAL-PLANT-FIRE-WHAT-TO-KNOW — A weekend fire that sent a massive plume of dark smoke into the Georgia sky has led to complaints about a strong chemical smell and haze several miles away across metro Atlanta, where some schools canceled outdoor activities and others closer to the fire remained stuck at home sheltering from the outdoor air. SENT: 830 words, photos, video, audio.
JIMMY-CARTER-PHILANTHROPY — A benefit concert and the construction of 30 new homes are among the many events marking President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday on Oct. 1. Considering the former president’s long legacy as a philanthropist, it’s no surprise that he wants any gift-giving to go to other people. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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HAITI-HUNGER — Nearly 6,000 people in Haiti are starving, with nearly half the country’s population of more than 11 million people experiencing crisis levels of hunger or worse as gang violence smothers life in the capital of Port-au-Prince and beyond, according to a new report. SENT: 830 words, photos. UNITED-NATIONS-HAITI — UN Haiti gangs Kenya multinational force peacekeeping (sent).
UN-GENERAL-ASSEMBLY-NORTH-KOREA — North Korea has condemned the United States and its allies for “stirring up military confrontations still further” by engaging in war games in the Asia-Pacific region and “talking unceasingly” about regime change in the diplomatically isolated nation. SENT: 900 words, photos.
AUSTRIA-ELECTIONS — European far-right and nationalist parties are celebrating the hard-right Freedom Party’s win in Austria’s election. Even though it’s uncertain whether hard-line leader Herbert Kickl will be able to take his vision of a “Fortress Austria” into government, the party’s electoral success could nudge politics further in its direction. SENT: 880 words, photos, videos, audio.
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BUSINESS/TECH
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FEDERAL-RESERVE-POWELL — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled Monday that more interestrate cuts are in the pipeline but suggested they would occur at a measured pace intended to support a still-healthy economy. SENT: 700 words, photo.
AT&T-DIRECTV — DirecTV is buying Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years, as the company seeks to better compete against streaming services that have become dominant. SENT: 760 words, photos.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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ENT-KRIS KRISTOFFERSON-A LIFE — Kris Kristofferson led a remarkable life that might sound implausible if it appeared in fiction. He was a Texas-born star athlete, a Rhodes scholar and a captain in the U.S. Army. But he walked away from it all to become one of the great singer-songwriters of the 20th century. Kristofferson died on Saturday at the age of 88. During his life he got to see his early heroes like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash record songs he wrote then become heroes and collaborators. Another friend, Janis Joplin, recorded maybe the best known version of one of his songs with her posthumous No. 1 hit “Me and Bobby McGee.” SENT: 1,110 words, photos, video, audio.
MUSIC-QUEER-WOMEN-POP — The All Things Go music festival made its way to New York City this weekend for the first time, featuring a lineup of predominantly women and queer women headliners like Boygenius’ Julien Baker, Ethel Cain, Muna, Janelle Monae and Reneé Rapp. Chappell Roan had dropped out of the fest only on Friday. It directly reflects the current popularity of music made by queer women in contemporary pop music. SENT: 980 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BBN-METS-BRAVES — The Mets are headed to the postseason after Francisco Lindor’s two-run homer in the ninth capped a wild back-and-forth over the final two innings, giving New York an 8-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a makeup doubleheader squeezed in before the start of the playoffs. SENT: 660 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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India's Virat Kohli, right, plays a shot on the fourth day of the second cricket test match between Bangladesh and India in Kanpur, India, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers takes the field prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Participants paint each other's faces in preparation for a homemade gravity-powered vehicles race in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign event, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Erie, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris gets ready to board Air Force Two, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Families sleep on Beirut's corniche after fleeing the Israeli airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A photographer documents damage in a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Damaged buildings at the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
People check the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
