Trump addresses criticism he's politicizing Hurricane Helene: 'Anything I do, they'll say, oh, it's political'

Former President Trump continued to deed the Biden-Harris medication for its effect to Hurricane Helene amid disapproval that he’s attempting to politicize the disaster. 

Trump spoke with Fox News big Laura Ingraham Saturday astatine his Butler, Pa., rally, which marked a instrumentality to the spot wherever would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to extremity the GOP statesmanlike nominee’s beingness successful July.

Ingraham asked the erstwhile president however helium would person responded to the devastation wrought by Helene. 

"I'd person a tremendous squad of radical here. They don't person immoderate radical here, the radical who, look, I was successful North Carolina yesterday. I was successful Georgia — and Georgia's different. You person a bully governor. He's doing a precise bully job. But North Carolina is simply a disaster. And it was besides deed precise hard. But they don't person the radical and they're complaining there's nary radical astir to help," Trump said.

A drone presumption shows harm pursuing Hurricane Helene successful Asheville, N.C., connected Sept. 29. (Reuters/Marco Bello)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell deed backmost astatine immoderate claims that bureau unit haven’t been seen connected the crushed successful the aftermath of the storm, telling "Special Report" connected Monday specified insinuations are "false."

"We person been connected the crushed since earlier Hurricane Helene successful Florida and earlier it crossed implicit [to] North Carolina. And what I would accidental is conscionable due to the fact that idiosyncratic doesn't spot a idiosyncratic successful a garment doesn't mean that we're not successful the area. We person a squad located with the authorities side-by-side to assistance them recognize their needs and determination resources wherever they're needed," Criswell said.

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"We've moved nutrient and water, and overmuch of what you're seeing delivered by the astonishing National Guardsmen crossed North Carolina are the supplies that we've brought in. The full national household is determination to enactment this response. We've been there. We volition proceed to beryllium determination arsenic agelong arsenic it's needed to marque definite we're gathering everybody’s needs."

The White House announced implicit the weekend that President Biden ordered 500 active-duty troops to occidental North Carolina to assistance successful alleviation efforts, bringing the full fig of troops to 1,500.

More than 6,100 National Guardsmen and much than 7,000 national unit person been mobilized to assistance residents and affected counties. 

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The White House took purpose astatine Trump and others for allegedly spreading mendacious accusation astir however catastrophe alleviation funds were being used, specifically a assertion that FEMA wealth was utilized connected migrants successful the United States.

"No wealth is being diverted from catastrophe effect needs. None. FEMA’s catastrophe effect efforts and idiosyncratic assistance is funded done the Disaster Relief Fund, which is simply a dedicated money for catastrophe efforts. Disaster Relief Fund wealth has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts," a memo from the White House work successful part.

"You know, thing I do, they'll say, oh, it's political. If I bash thing good, nary substance what I do, they'll say, oh, helium did it for politics. I mean, they could person gotten determination mode earlier me," Trump said connected "The Ingraham Angle."

Trump, Biden and Kamala Harris person each visited states impacted by Helene. 

Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris greets radical who were impacted by Hurricane Helene successful Augusta, Ga., Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, arsenic Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson watches astatine right. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Ingraham asked the GOP nominee however he’s moving to guarantee voters tin formed their ballots amid the devastation. 

"Republican areas got deed precise hard. You cognize that. They got deed very, precise hard. I judge – and galore radical are dead. You know, galore radical are dead. They don't adjacent cognize what it's going to beryllium successful presumption of the number. You know, they person hundreds are missing and I can't truly talk to it. I tin lone accidental that I judge they're going to spell retired and vote, if they person to, crawl to a voting booth," Trump said. 

Workers, assemblage members, and concern owners cleanable up debris successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene successful Marshall, North Carolina connected Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

He added Republican National Committee co-chair and daughter-in-law Lara Trump is moving to code the issue.

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"Other radical are moving connected it and we're trying to marque it convenient for them, too. But they conscionable mislaid their house. We're trying to marque it convenient for them to spell retired and vote, but we are doing precise good successful definite areas that we weren't expected to do. Virginia. We're doing well. We're doing good each over. I deliberation we're going to bash large successful North Carolina due to the fact that the effect has been truthful atrocious to the hurricane. They person – this effect has been horrific," Trump continued.

The Associated Press reported astatine least 230 people person been killed successful the aftermath of Helene.