GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Kamala Harris used an appearance Sunday before a largely Black church audience in battleground North Carolina to call out Donald Trump for spreading misinformation about the government's hurricane response. President Joe Biden visited Florida for the second time this month to survey storm damage.
Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, did not speak Trump's name, but he is most prominent among those promoting false claims about the Biden administration's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Florida was in the path of both storms, with Helene also hitting North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, while Milton headed for the open Atlantic.
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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, sings alongside former Rep. Eva Clayton, of North Carolina, left, and bishop Rosie O'neal, during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden, second left, joined by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., left, speaks with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, joined by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., left, speaks with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, from left, joined by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, and on screen from left, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Attendees hold up signs before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees hold up signs before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Attendees are pictured in the audience before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees dance before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, prays alongside bishop Rosie O'neal during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees cheer before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, sings alongside former Rep. Eva Clayton, of North Carolina, left, and bishop Rosie O'neal, during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, high-fives Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., as she arrives at Pitt-Greenville Airport in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, to speak at a campaign rally. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden, second left, meets with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Attendees sing before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden, second left, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees pray before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, prays alongside bishop Rosie O'neal during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, hugs bishop Rosie O'neal, during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
A view of the area is pictured as President Joe Biden is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, center right, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden arrives to be briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, meets with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
St. Pete Beach, Fla. Mayor Adrian Petrila speaks as President Joe Biden, right, listens Biden's visit to areas affected by Hurricane Milton in St. Pete Beach, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, joined by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., left, speaks with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, joined by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., left, speaks with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, right, walks during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
President Joe Biden walks to board Air Force One he departs Joint Base Andrews, Md., on his way to Tampa, Fla, to visit the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
FILE - The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)
With President Joe Biden aboard, Marine One surveys areas affected by Hurricane Milton in Florida, from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Tampa, Fla. Mayor Jane Castor, left, speaks with President Joe Biden as he arrives at MacDill Air Force Base, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
With President Joe Biden aboard, Marine One surveys areas affected by Hurricane Milton in Florida, from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The destroyed roof of the Tropicana Dome is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
An aerial drone view of the scene where a downtown high-rise was smashed by a fallen crane from Hurricane Milton at 490 1st Avenue South, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The building damaged by Hurricane Milton is home to the Tampa Bay Times, a law firm, a defense contractor and more. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
President Joe Biden, from left, joined by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, and on screen from left, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she arrives at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Morrisville, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
President Joe Biden speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas listens, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, packs diapers Greg Hatem, owner of The Pit Authentic Barbecue, as Harris visits the restaurant to learn about their relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
President Joe Biden speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene as as Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm listens, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The vice president spoke at the Koinonia Christian Center about the “heroes” all around who are helping residents without regard to political affiliation.
“Yet, church, there are some who are not acting in the spirit of community, and I am speaking of these who have been literally not telling the truth, lying about people who are working hard to help the folks in need, spreading disinformation when the truth and facts are required,” Harris said.
“The problem with this, beyond the obvious, is it's making it harder, then, to get people life-saving information if they're led to believe they cannot trust,” she said. “And that's the pain of it all, which is the idea that those who are in need have somehow been convinced that the forces are working against them in a way that they would not seek aid.”
Harris said they are trying “to gain some advantage for themselves, to play politics with other people's heart break, and it is unconscionable,” she said. “Now is not a time to incite fear. It is not right to make people feel alone.”
“That is not what leaders, as we know, do in crisis,” she said.
Trump made a series of false claims after Helene struck in late September, including saying that Washington was intentionally withholding aid from Republicans in need across the Southeast. The former president falsely claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency had run out of money to help them because it was spent on programs to help immigrants who are in the United States illegally.
He pressed that argument on Fox News' “Sunday Morning Futures,” saying the White House response was “absolutely terrible” and repeating the claim about FEMA's dollars. “It came out from there and everybody knew it,” Trump said in an interview that was taped Thursday and broadcast Sunday.
Before Harris spoke in church, Biden was surveying hurricane damage on a helicopter flight between Tampa and St. Pete Beach on the Gulf Coast. From the air, he saw the torn-up roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. On the ground, the president saw waterlogged household furnishings piled up outside flooded homes. Some houses had collapsed.
The president said he was thankful that Milton was not as bad as officials had anticipated, but that it still was a “cataclysmic” event for many people, including those who lost irreplaceable personal items. He also praised the first responders, some of whom had come from Canada.
"It's in moments like this we come together to take care of each other, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans," Biden said after he was briefed by federal, state and local officials, and met some residents and responders. “We are one United States, one United States.”
Harris opened her second day in North Carolina by speaking at the Christian center in Greenville, part of her campaign's “Souls to the Polls” effort to help turn out Black churchgoers before the Nov. 5 election.
The vice president later spoke to roughly 7,000 supporters at a Sunday afternoon rally at East Carolina University's arena, suggesting that Trump's team has stopped him from releasing medical records or debating her again because they might be “afraid that people will see that he is too weak and unstable.”
The North Carolina appearances mark the start of a week that will find Harris working to shore up support among Black voters, a key constituency for the Democratic Party. She is counting on Black turnout in competitive states such as North Carolina to help her defeat Trump, who has focused on energizing men of all races and has tried to make inroads with Black men in particular.
On Tuesday, she will appear in Detroit for a live conversation with Charlamagne tha God, a prominent Black media personality.
Black registered voters have overwhelmingly favorable views of Harris and negative views of Trump despite his attempts to appeal to nonwhite voters, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But the poll also shows that many Black voters aren’t sure whether Harris would improve the country overall or better their own lives.
In Florida, which Biden had visited the Big Bend region on Oct. 3 after Helene struck, the president announced $612 million for six Department of Energy projects in hurricane-affected areas to bolster the region’s electric grid. The money includes $47 million for Gainesville Regional Utilities and $47 million for Switched Source to partner with Florida Power and Light.
With a little more than three weeks before the election, the hurricanes have added another dimension to the closely contested presidential race.
Trump has said the Biden administration’s storm response was lacking, particularly in western North Carolina after Helene. Biden and Harris have hammered Trump for promoting falsehoods about the federal response.
Biden said Trump was “not singularly" to blame for the spread of misinformation but that he has the "biggest mouth.”
“They blame me for everything. It's OK,” Trump told Fox.
Biden has pressed for Congress to act quickly to make sure the Small Business Administration and FEMA have the money they need to get through hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30 in the Atlantic. He said Friday that Milton alone had caused an estimated $50 billion in damages.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department oversees FEMA, said the hurricane season is far from over and there are other natural disasters for which the agency must ready.
“We don’t know what’s coming tomorrow, whether it’s another hurricane, a tornado, a fire, an earthquake. We have to be ready. And it is not good government to be dependent on a day-to-day existence as opposed to appropriate planning,” Mayorkas said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said there was plenty of time and that lawmakers would address the funding issue when Congress comes back into session after the Nov. 5 election.
“We’ll provide the additional resources,” Johnson told CBS.
Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday evening. At least 10 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of residents remain without power. Officials say the toll could have been worse if not for widespread evacuations. ee.
Madhani reported from St. Pete Beach, Florida, and Superville from Washington.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Attendees hold up signs before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees hold up signs before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Attendees are pictured in the audience before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees dance before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign rally at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, prays alongside bishop Rosie O'neal during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees cheer before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a campaign event at East Carolina University, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/David Yeazell)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, sings alongside former Rep. Eva Clayton, of North Carolina, left, and bishop Rosie O'neal, during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, high-fives Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., as she arrives at Pitt-Greenville Airport in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, to speak at a campaign rally. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden, second left, meets with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Attendees sing before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden, second left, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Attendees pray before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, prays alongside bishop Rosie O'neal during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, center, hugs bishop Rosie O'neal, during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a church service at Koinonia Christian Center in Greenville, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
A view of the area is pictured as President Joe Biden is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, center right, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden arrives to be briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, meets with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
St. Pete Beach, Fla. Mayor Adrian Petrila speaks as President Joe Biden, right, listens Biden's visit to areas affected by Hurricane Milton in St. Pete Beach, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, joined by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., left, speaks with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, joined by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., left, speaks with residents and federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, second left, is briefed by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour of the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden speaks following a briefing by federal, state, and local officials in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Joe Biden, right, walks during a tour of areas affected by Hurricane Milton in St. Pete Beach, Fla., following an aerial tour, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
President Joe Biden walks to board Air Force One he departs Joint Base Andrews, Md., on his way to Tampa, Fla, to visit the Hurricane Milton affected areas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
FILE - The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)
With President Joe Biden aboard, Marine One surveys areas affected by Hurricane Milton in Florida, from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Tampa, Fla. Mayor Jane Castor, left, speaks with President Joe Biden as he arrives at MacDill Air Force Base, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
With President Joe Biden aboard, Marine One surveys areas affected by Hurricane Milton in Florida, from Tampa to St. Petersburg, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The destroyed roof of the Tropicana Dome is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
An aerial drone view of the scene where a downtown high-rise was smashed by a fallen crane from Hurricane Milton at 490 1st Avenue South, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The building damaged by Hurricane Milton is home to the Tampa Bay Times, a law firm, a defense contractor and more. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
President Joe Biden, from left, joined by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, and on screen from left, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she arrives at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Morrisville, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
President Joe Biden speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas listens, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, packs diapers Greg Hatem, owner of The Pit Authentic Barbecue, as Harris visits the restaurant to learn about their relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
President Joe Biden speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene as as Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm listens, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Seattle Kraken 6-2 on Saturday night.
After falling behind 1-0 less than three minutes into the game, the Golden Knights scored three unanswered goals in the first period and never relinquished the lead.
After Keegan Kolesar tied the game at 1-all, Brett Howden took Jack Eichel’s pass from behind the net and beat Philipp Grubauer at the doorstep to give Vegas a one-goal edge. Nic Hague's goal later in the period put Vegas up, 3-1.
William Karlsson and Noah Hanifin also added goals in the third and Ilya Samsonov stopped 21 shots to improve to 8-3-1. Eichel finished with two assists.
Vince Dunn and Jaden Schwartz scored for Seattle while Grubauer made 29 saves and fell to 3-10-0.
Kraken: Center Chandler Stephenson made his first return to Vegas since signing with Seattle as a free agent during the offseason. Stephenson is the only NHL player to hoist the Stanley Cup twice in Vegas, winning inside T-Mobile Arena with Washington in 2018, and again with the Knights in 2023.
Golden Knights: Vegas has won three straight and seven of eight in December. With the win, the Knights (47) are now four points in front of Los Angeles (43) in the Pacific Division and two points shy of Western Conference-leading Winnipeg (49).
Trailing 1-0, Kolesar took a cross-ice pass from Victor Olofsson that led him perfectly on a breakaway. Kolesar’s snipe over Grubauer’s glove gave him his career-high eighth goal of the season.
Seattle is now 1-17-1 when trailing after two periods while Vegas improved to 12-1-0 when leading after the first 40 minutes.
The Knights host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night. The Kraken visit the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Vegas Golden Knights centers Brett Howden (21) and Jack Eichel (9) celebrate after Howden's goal against the Seattle Kraken during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde (37) and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin (15) battle for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) and right wing Cole Schwindt (22) celebrate after Kolesar's goal against the Seattle Kraken during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde shoots against Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Seattle Kraken center Chandler Stephenson (9) shoots against Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Seattle Kraken during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)