Donald Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday, speaking in front of a furniture store gutted by Hurricane Helene. During his visit, he falsely claimed that Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, had been unable to reach President Joe Biden. Trump stated that Biden was “sleeping” and that Kemp had been calling without a response.
However, Kemp quickly refuted Trump’s claims, explaining that he had been in contact with Vice President Kamala Harris and had spoken directly with Biden the previous afternoon. Kemp mentioned that the president had offered his full support, saying, “If there’s anything else we need, just call him directly.”
The White House responded to Trump’s comments during a press briefing, with Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall reaffirming that Biden had offered Kemp “anything” Georgia needed for storm recovery. Biden, when asked about Trump’s claims, angrily called them lies, emphasizing that he had spoken with Kemp and that the governor had told Trump he was being dishonest.
Trump arrived in Valdosta alongside evangelist Franklin Graham, bringing truckloads of relief supplies, though details about the resources were vague. He expressed solidarity with the victims of Hurricane Helene, standing in front of the collapsed storefront of Chez What, a local business.
The hurricane left a devastating impact on south Georgia, with at least 25 deaths and widespread power outages. Kemp reported that 1.3 million Georgians had lost power at the storm’s peak, with nearly 500,000 still without electricity on Monday morning.
Vice President Kamala Harris canceled her Monday events to focus on the federal response, taking a briefing from FEMA. She reiterated the administration’s commitment to supporting affected states, ensuring critical resources like food, water, and generators are available across the impacted regions.
