Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) expressed his appreciation for the position the federal authorities has performed in responding to Hurricane Helene, contradicting feedback from former President Trump, who claimed throughout a Monday go to to the state that Kemp had hassle reaching President Biden.
Kemp and White Home officers confirmed Monday that Biden spoke to the governor on Sunday to supply help because the state types by means of the harm from Hurricane Helene.
“He simply mentioned, ‘Hey, what do you want?’” Kemp instructed reporters of his name with Biden. “And I instructed him, you realize, we acquired what we’d like. We are going to work by means of the federal course of. He supplied that if there’s different issues we’d like, simply to name him immediately, which, I admire that. However we’ve had FEMA embedded with us since, you realize, a day or two earlier than the storm hit.”
White Home homeland safety adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall on Monday additionally confirmed Biden and Kemp spoke, telling reporters Biden would take the governor’s name if anything got here up throughout the restoration course of.
Trump on Monday visited Valdosta, Ga., to tour storm damage and specific his help for the communities reeling from the harm. Upon touchdown, he criticized Biden’s response to the hurricane.
“The governor’s doing an excellent job,” Trump mentioned of Kemp. “He’s having a tough time getting the president on the cellphone. Federal authorities is just not being responsive.”
Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday in Florida as a Class 4 hurricane, bringing with it devastating winds and rainfall. Sherwood-Randall instructed reporters there are roughly 600 individuals unaccounted for throughout a number of states due to the storm.
Vice President Harris on Monday cut short a West Coast marketing campaign swing to return to Washington and go to Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) headquarters for a briefing on the impacts of Helene and updates on the federal response.
Harris spoke Sunday with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) concerning the aftermath of the storm and reached out to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). She spoke Monday with Kemp, the White Home mentioned. Florida, Georgia and North Carolina bore the brunt of the storm’s influence.
