Trump visits Western North Carolina repeating false FEMA claims; favors more Helene aid

SWANNANOA - Three and a half weeks after Tropical Storm Helene hit Western North Carolina, former President Donald Trump visited the region in a brief trip to Swannanoa on Monday, repeating a false claim that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is spending money on unauthorized migrants and not those who suffered during the storm.

Trump has continued to sow doubt about the federal response to Helene. He has suggested that FEMA funds have been spent on unauthorized immigrants rather than to aid survivors. The claim, which has also been spread by Elon Musk and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, has been debunked as false by USA TODAY and fact checking agencies like PolitiFact.

Standing in front of the wreckage of a Swannanoa neighborhood, Trump repeated the claim three times while speaking to press after he visited with supporters in WNC. Just 15 minutes outside of Asheville, Swannanoa was one of the most impacted towns caused by Hurricane Helene flooding.

Responding to a question about the recent arrest of a man who had issued threats against FEMA employees and whether continuing to sow doubt about FEMA's performance was helping the recovery, Trump deflected. He instead said that he's seen nothing but "very bad statements" about FEMA's performance and suggested that all of FEMA's money had been spent on "murderers," "drug dealers," and "terrorists."

FEMA has approved $1.2 billion more in federal aid to individuals and communities affected by Helene, according to a Oct. 21 update from the agency. For those affected by Helene, $746 million has gone to assist individuals and families affected by Helene on top of over $524 million in debris removal and $130 million for housing and other types of assistance. In total, the agency has provided $4.3 billion toward the recovery.

Trump, however, did say that he would "be in favor" of congress returning early to provide relief funding for the hurricane, a similar message that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis shared on Oct. 17 during a walk around in Canton with media and local officials. The call comes after President Joe Biden encouraged congress to "move as rapidly as they can" to provide emergency relief funds to the devastated regions impacted by Helene and Hurricane Milton.

"This is a very unusual situation and I would be in favor of it," Trump said of congress returning.

Trump was joined by some supporters during his visit, including some who had been impacted by Helene's floods and others, like Adam Smith, who leads the Savage Freedom Relief Operation out of the Harley Davidson location just down the street from the event. One of the supporters impacted by Helene, Mike Stewart, prayed for him during the event. Other attendees included NC House Speaker Tim Moore, Sen. Ted Budd, NC Sen. Tim Moffitt and Rep. Chuck Edwards — all Republican WNC elected officials.

As the Republican candidate for president, Trump has made a series of campaign photo stops and events leading up to the Swannanoa visit, including one at a McDonalds in Pennsylvania, where he gave out fries and McNuggets. During the Swannanoa visit, Edwards — who owns numerous McDonalds locations in WNC — gave him a "French Fry Certification Pin" in reference to said visit. He's set to rally in Greenville, in the eastern part of the state, the afternoon of Oct. 21.

Currently, the presidential election is in a dead heat. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll sets Harris just ahead of Trump in a 45%-44% split.

In the run-up to the event, the Harris-Walz campaign held a press conference about Trump's visit to the region, disputing his claims regarding the federal response.

"When Helene hit North Carolina, Vice President Harris and President Biden jumped into action, sending thousands of FEMA workers and working to provide relief for families who lost loved ones, who lost their homes, who lost their businesses," said Bishop Leah Daughtry, former chief of staff of the Democratic Party and CEO of the 2008 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions.

"Instead of joining the effort to help those impacted the most by this tragic storm, Trump instead spread disinformation that has put the lives of recovery workers at risk. And some folks who need help aren't using the resources available to them because of Trump's lies," Daughtry continued.

Citizen Times City Government Reporter Sarah Honosky contributed to this story.

More: Helene in Western North Carolina: Everything you need to know from help to recovery efforts

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Election 2024: Trump visits Western N.C.; repeats false FEMA claims