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.
The vice president spoke at 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 Channel, 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 Koinonia 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. She planned a rally later Sunday to talk about her economic plans and highlight Thursday’s start of early voting in the state, her campaign said.
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.
© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
72 Comments
ok1517
Good job, VP Harris!
The only things Trump is good at is spreading fear, dividing, inciting, insulting - spreading fake stuff!
Even his campaign events aren't what he claims they are.
Less than 15.000 people at his latest event in Coachella, while he is talking about 100.000!
Attendees left in the desert after the event without bus transportation.
But that's how Donald is: use and abuse and once you don't need them any more - dump 'em!
plasticmonkey
Doesn’t matter to the MAGA faithful. They’ll believe anything that comes out of his pie hole.
It’s a very strange thing America is being subjected to. Unconscionable acts by a sociopathic con man and his willing enablers.
dagon
Trump now is is regurgitating the old rhetorical tricks of Fox disinformation:
'Everybody knows..'
'People are saying'
'I have heard some people saying that..'
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-lot-of-people-are-saying-how-trump-spreads-conspiracies-and-innuendo/2016/06/13/b21e59de-317e-11e6-8ff7-7b6c1998b7a0_story.html
Trump is the King of Logical Fallacies
itsonlyrocknroll
Politics from the pulpit, not remotely smart campaign strategy,
Jesus is the son of God; both neither Democrat or a Republican.
ulysses
Tell that to the man hawking Chinese printed bibles to his flock!!!
ulysses
donald’s Coachella rally was a disaster, attendees stranded with no transportation available, the old having to walk 2 hours to find a ride.
donald cons his stupids once again!!!
bass4funk
How so?
Like the Dems with Trump wants to end abortion or telling Blacks that they’ll all have you back in chains?
According to the msm sites, but if you bypass that then you be surprised spectacular these events truly are.
Still in in deep blue California to even get 15,000 in that state as a Republican? It’s beyond astounding, I thought he might get a few hundred only.
Here we go with more lib gossip
Yeah, I don’t think that comment has the intended impact it once did a few years back.
Ah_so
It looks like the Trump campaign didn't put buses on to take them back after the event, so left them to walk two hours to get back.
After he bussed them in and gave him applause, they'd served their purpose.
Legrande
Not that Trump is the best possible candidate, but Harris is neither qualified nor prepared to be the next POTUS.
She is merely an emergency replacement for someone who lost his marbles during the first debate with Trump.
Toblerone
Harris is neither qualified nor prepared to be the next POTUS.
She is merely an emergency replacement for someone who lost his marbles during the first debate with Trump.
It’s clear for anyone that hasn’t brainwashed themselves to believe in her.
The prospect of such an obvious incompetent as her becoming president of the US really is appalling.
At least with Trump we know he’s more than capable of doing the job. He did it for four years and did it well.
lincolnman
MAGA rhetorical question - used when they have no reply...
Indeed he DOESN'T want to end abortion - after saying previously he believed life begins at conception - a HUUUGE FLIP - and one his evangelicals feel betrayed on...who now think he's a baby killer...
Do you?
Like his favorite authoritative source "bubblebathgirl"....
Thanks for admitting he lied...
Here we go with more MAGA-dodging...
And call his supporters "basement dwellers"....
https://www.axios.com/2024/08/20/dnc-trump-stephanie-grisham
ok1517
Here we go with more lib gossip
bass,
this from one of the MAGA attendees:
"It's 10:22 p.m. Rally ended at 7 p.m. Thousands of people still stranded here waiting for transit back to the parking lots. Something has gone horribly wrong. No restroom facilities any more. No more water. No food. Started with 20 busses for escorting people to the rally, and now only 1 bus remains. Busses apparently went home."
But of course you will question this, too.
ulysses
Sir I think you need to get a caffeine shot before posting!!!
Yes sir, the dark web is the the most reliable source of news!!!
Doesn’t look like the ‘15000’ were happy!!!
>
Toblerone
When incompetent people who are way out of their depth have power such as that of the US president, people die. It is an unfortunate reality.
stormcrow
Trump is a buffoon lying at 100 words a minute. Unfortunately he lies so much and so fast that his dumb bell followers (his base) doesn't care and they accept every word he speaks as the gospel.
Trump doesn't care and they don't either.
ulysses
Couldn’t agree more and I am glad you saw the light.
donald’s handling of Covid was a disaster, he should be in prison just for that alone!!!
Underworld
bass4funk
The only things Trump is good at is spreading fear, dividing, inciting, insulting - spreading fake stuff!
Well Trump did say he'll vote to uphold Florida's 6-week abortion ban. So it's no surprise that voters don't trust Trump not to enact a federal abortion ban...
He already set up SCOTUS for the sole purpose of dismantling Roe vs Wade, which they did - actions speak louder than word.
bass4funk
Ok, so impossible for the left to answer once again, figures.
And the left still can’t prove he allegedly wants to end it.
I never said that, but I did say the msm lied.
No need to dodge, just don’t jump on the Dem jump bash wagon every time the man’s name is mentioned by someone with a Trump hangover.
If they don’t get out and vote, yes. It’s your duty as an American.
itsonlyrocknroll
Kalama Harris, a woman of colour, politically anointed,
No pulpit posturing will disguise the fact, Harris processes not a modicum of merited proven political diplomatic experience, mastery capability or authority to carry out the responsibilities of President of the United States, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
Obama/Pelosi/Clinton, are fully aware of this fact, all refusing to initially endorse Harris over Biden insisting Biden is fully compos mentis.
This is not a fairy story, a conspiracy theory, it is on record as fact.
bass4funk
That’s not what I said, I said, show me where Trump said, he wants a Federal ban. Just show me, that’s all I’m asking, nothing more.
Again, I’m not listening to all that banter, I just want to know where he said he would ban abortion outright. Just show me. I’m a simple man asking a very simple question.
bass4funk
Just one person….
"It's 10:22 p.m. Rally ended at 7 p.m. Thousands of people still stranded here waiting for transit back to the parking lots. Something has gone horribly wrong. No restroom facilities any more. No more water. No food. Started with 20 busses for escorting people to the rally, and now only 1 bus remains. Busses apparently went home."
What source and what context? And yes, of course I will question it, any responsible person does, this is exactly how the left get themselves in trouble, they just jump at the slightest trigger, never ask questions and just go by what they heard. So yeah, I’m going to wait until there’s more context before condemning anyone.
itsonlyrocknroll
If the Biden democrats media had left Donald Trump to retire on a distant golf course, instead of attempting to weaponize the US justice system to harass and provoke, then this US 2024 could have heralded a complete positive change.
JD Vance/Josh Shapiro head to head.
ulysses
Sir reading and comprehension are different skills, MAGA understand very little, they can just copy and paste without understanding anything!!!
Some dude
Sir reading and comprehension are different skills, MAGA understand very little, they can just copy and paste without understanding anything!!!
Be fair, they are pretty good at the "I know you are but what am I" technique:
Take negative comment about Trump
Pretend it was made about democrats
Thumb nose at poster through screen
"Terrible? You mean the democrats, ha, gotcha, mom, I made a lib look stupid online!"
bass4funk
Ditto
Ok, by liberals then….
What?
Underworld
bass4funk
Well Trump did say he'll vote to uphold Florida's 6-week abortion ban.
First Trump is against Florida's 6-week abortion ban, and then he is for it. When Democrats say that you can't trust Trump not to sign a federal abortion ban, you better believe it. The man has no credibility on the issue.
lincolnman
More MAGA whining and nonsense...
BINGO! You've bragged how you believe life begins at conception - now you're defending Trump who you say APPROVES of abortions. So once more, is Trump a baby killer"
Wrong- you admitted he lied when he said 100K showed up but it was less than $15K...
More failed dodging...
THANK YOU! Finally admits Trump disses his flock by calling them basement dwellers...ready to admit he calls you the "great unwashed" too?
ulysses
Sir, MAGA aren’t known for knowing anything other that what’s growing in their backyard!!
Sir, do you expect VP Harris to airdrop into Lebanon and enforce a ceasefire???
bass4funk
Again, where did he say that he wanted to ban abortion verbatim? That’s all I want to know. Don’t need to hear the rest of the garrulous talking points.
ok1517
bass,
facts are facts.
Donald abandoned his MAGA supporters several times!
Remember Omaha, Nebraska, where people were left standing in the cold for hours?
Now in Coachella, California people abandoned in the middle of the night.
It's just a complete mess - since a picture says more than a thousand words:
bass4funk
Nonsense? Liberals claiming nonesense? ROFL!
No bingo, I bragged about nothing.
Not wrong, this is why the msm is in a serious downward spiral death spin They keep trying and trying
No dodge, no need.
No, but Lazy Americans that don’t get out and vote, will never get the government they want and that’s on them. Want to make a difference, get out and vote.
ulysses
Sir, you need to read more!!!
Though donny has done some many flip flops he might as well start hawking them along with his Chinese bible!!!
bass4funk
Left Speculation is now considered facts??
Donald abandoned his MAGA supporters several times! Again, not going to jump on that Trump bash hate bandwagon without full context and freak out because one woman complained. I’ll wait.
ulysses
Sir can you remind me which MSM paid out $787 million for their lies, I keep forgetting!!!
itsonlyrocknroll
This US 2024 election will historically be remembered as the ruthless wilful hostile spiteful belligerent clash of personalities/ideology over any meaningful debate of policies.
A shameful betrayal of democracy, ultimately the US electorate.
ulysses
Totally sir, after all women have no right to complain, MAGA has proven that over and over again!!!!
plasticmonkey
I understand you're quite comfortable with a . . . uh, man who constantly lies (and you know it), but gives you the pleasure of supposedly sticking it to "the so-called liberal college educated white elite government worker". lol
Huh?
funkymofo
Not a danger to democracy at all /s.
When is enough enough?
Underworld
itsonlyrocknroll
For the MAGAs certainly.
Not for the rest of the race.
Underworld
bass4funk
First Trump is against Florida's 6-week abortion ban, and then he is for it.
Dems aren't spreading lies. They are saying that you can't trust Trump not to sign a federal abortion ban. And they are right!
wallace
Rumors spread Trump has donated $25 million for the hurricane disaster but it was a fake.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-25-million-hurricane-relief/
Blacklabel
From the pulpit?
is she a pastor in the Black church now?
Some dude
Sir can you remind me which MSM paid out $787 million for their lies, I keep forgetting!!!
They'll just call it "the price of free speech", probably.
ulysses
Sie, that is the level of discussion expected of you, well done!!!
Sir don’t forget tucker, he might be unemployed but he is still around!!!
Wick's pencil
Not misinformation, Biden Harris gov handling disasters terribly.
bass4funk
Snopes?? You serious?
Overall, we rate Snopes as Left-Center biased based on news story selection that slightly favors a liberal perspective. We also rate them as High for factual reporting due to proper sourcing for fact checks and for abiding by the guidelines of the IFCN
wallace
Snopes didn't spread the $25 million Trump donation rumor. Trump did that.
funkymofo
Yeah, good one, lol.
Chuck
Good for Kamala for being another one calling out Trump’s dangerous lies.
Good to see that you agree that the MAGA crowd uses this rhetorical device.
bass4funk
SNOPES said it didn’t happen, that’s the problem.
Peter Neil
ah yes, being rated high for factual reporting is a sure fire sign of libs taking over the world.
wallace
There is zero proof that Trump donated $25 million to hurricane disasters.
bass4funk
There is zero proof he didn’t.
wallace
bass4funk
There is zero proof that Trump donated $25 million to hurricane disasters.
Then you can post a link showing Trump donated $25 million. You have posted frequently you don't believe anything about Trump unless there is proof. You said Facts matter.
Had Trump donated $25 million he would be shouting about it.
Just another fake Trump disaster info.
wallace
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are two of the biggest misinformation superspreaders.
lincolnman
What?
How so?
ROFL...
Huh?
In black and white above...scroll up...
bass4funk
I said, we can’t prove either way, listen.
True, especially as crazy as the left get a quick knee-jerk reaction to just his name being mentioned.
Absolutely
Yes.
I disagree.
Blacklabel
Are there any factual errors in my comment?
Some dude
There is zero proof he didn’t.
There is also zero proof he didn't do kinky things with his daughter. I mean what was that quote?
"“If Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her."
So as we appear to enjoy playing around with the burden of proof, I assume you will accept that he did to kinky things with his own daughter unless you can find definitive proof that he didn't.
bass4funk
And yet, people give them more credit overall than this entire administration.
Peter Neil
aw, they’re just aghast looking at the car crash of both of them.
Underworld
Wick's pencil
Well, there is no evidence for that.
Trump responding to the Puerto Rico Hurricane Florence disaster by throwing out paper towels is well documented, however.
Blacklabel
2 weeks ago: NBC News Kamala +5.
now? “Tied”
closer we get to the election the more honest the media is required than get.
hey I got logged out too, how odd.
where’s Tim?
bass4funk
https://www.realclearpolling.com/elections/president/2024/battleground-states
ulysses
Sir, you need to gather your thoughts!!!
Is running fantasy businesses so stressful?
ulysses
Well MAGA condone incest, it’s probably their only option to procreate!!!
This particular poster once posted about incest being acceptable!!!
N. Knight
Ha ha ha. Superb. The endless comedy of the delusional.
kurisupisu
Kamala is seeking division and remember the governor in Florida, DeSantis calling out her lies?
I do!
Underworld
Blacklabel
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/elections/polls-president-pennsylvania.html
ulysses
Sir de santis and lying go together, don’t stress too much about it!!!
Peter Neil
maga maniac goes to the doctor:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Rluxm7ZqiIA
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