By CatholicVote | Created at 2025-01-24 23:11:18 | Updated at 2025-01-26 06:43:59
1 day ago
CV NEWS FEED // President Donald Trump visited North Carolina Jan. 24 to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. It was his first presidential trip after taking office again on Monday.
During his visit, the president toured affected areas, met with families and individuals impacted by the flooding, promised significant federal support for recovery efforts, and announced plans to evaluate and potentially abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Citizen Times reported.
The president’s first stop was in Fletcher, where he was briefed on the status of damage and recovery in the state. He announced plans to sign an executive order “to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe even getting rid of FEMA.”
“FEMA has turned out to be a disaster,” he said.
Trump next met with affected residents in Swannanoa to hear the stories of those who had endured the storm.
Thomas Bright recounted to Trump how he spent four hours on the roof of his home during the flooding, writing farewell messages on his cellphone to his two children and two grandchildren.
“We didn’t think we were going to make it at all,” Bright told the president. “We were watching houses, trailers, bodies coming by us.”
Mona Nix-Roper shared with the president how her home became an island in the flooding, with her son hiking five miles to rescue her. Leaving their home, they encountered the drowned bodies of their neighbors.
“Horrific is all I can say,” she said.
Nix-Roper shared her experience with the lack of response from FEMA, saying despite her constant efforts to get aid, the organization has not responded.
“This happened on September 27. That’s four months ago.” she said. “For us, today is still September 27. We haven’t had help.”
Trump has made three visits to Western North Carolina in the past six months, including one trip just a month after Hurricane Helene.
Helene survivor Kate Feathers told the Citizen Times she was grateful for the president’s visit.
“He just became president Monday. Now it’s Friday and he’s here,” she said.
Upon arriving in Asheville in the early afternoon for his flight to Los Angeles to assess the damage from the wildfires, Trump greeted and spoke with a line of waiting supporters. He also told reporters that the government would be supplying 75% of the funds to facilitate the state’s recovery and rebuilding.
“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as we can,” Trump said, according to Fox News. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”
Trump repeated plans to evaluate “the whole concept of FEMA,” noting that states like Florida and Oklahoma, which frequently experience hurricanes and tornadoes, are more effective in disaster response.
“I’d like to see the states take care of disasters,” Trump said, the Citizen Times reported. “I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive — less than half — and you’re going to get a much quicker response.”
Governor Josh Stein released a statement regarding the president’s visit, requesting $20 billion in aid and 100% reimbursement of eligible FEMA expenses for another six months.
“Families, businesses, and communities are struggling and need these urgent resources to help them rebuild,” Stein said. “I look forward to working with the Trump Administration in the coming weeks and months to get people what they need to rebuild and recover.”
