Trump criticizes the American response to Hélène. Its record on disaster response is marked by politics

WASHINGTON (AP) Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration's response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helen, even as his supporters called for cuts to federal agencies that warn of weather disasters and provide relief to hard-hit communities.

As president, Trump delayed disaster aid to hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico and diverted money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund an effort to return undocumented migrants in Mexico. And Plan 2025, backed by Trump supporters, would restructure FEMA to limit aid to states and says the National Weather Service, which provides crucial data on hurricanes and other storms, should be dismantled and scaled back.

Trump claimed without evidence Monday that the Biden administration and North Carolina's Democratic governor were doing everything possible not to help people in Republican areas. And Trump adviser Stephen Miller said President Joe Biden failed to evacuate or rescue American citizens, just as you failed in Afghanistan.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said authorities had rescued and supported more than 1,400 people in areas affected by the storm.

That's what they're doing, she said, referring to rescue efforts by FEMA and other federal agencies.

It doesn't matter what state it is. It doesn't matter if it's a red state or a blue state,” Jean-Pierre said Monday. It's their job to get food there, to put generators there, to save lives, to rescue people, so we are very proud of the work they have accomplished.

Biden approved major disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, allowing survivors to access funds and resources to immediately jump-start their recovery. FEMA and other federal agencies, along with private companies and faith-based and nonprofit organizations, are responding to the disaster in at least seven states, from Florida to Virginia.

The death toll from the storm topped 130 people, with the most severe damage caused by inland flooding in western North Carolina.

On Mondy Day, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the presidential election, visited FEMA headquarters in Washington.

She called the devastation heartbreaking and vowed that she and Biden would ensure affected communities get what they need to recover, adding: The nation's true character is revealed in difficult times.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell surveyed the damage with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Monday. She described the flooding in the state as historic and said the storm caused significant damage to infrastructure of water systems, communications, roads and critical transportation routes in several states, complicating efforts recovery.

During Trump's tenure as president, he visited many disaster areas, including the aftermath of hurricanes, tornadoes and mass shootings. But those trips have sometimes sparked controversy, like when he tossed paper towels to residents of Puerto Rico in 2017, following Hurricane Maria.

It was also years later, just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, that the Trump administration released $13 billion in aid to the territory. A federal government watchdog found that authorities obstructed an investigation into delays in providing the aid.

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Congressional Democrats also criticized Trump for shifting $155 million from FEMA's operating budget to fund migrant return operations in Mexico. FEMA officials said at the time that the transfer would not impact disaster relief, but organizations representing emergency planners criticized the move.

Trump also insisted that Alabama, along with the Carolinas and Georgia, would be hit harder than expected by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Trump displayed a map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that has been altered with a black Sharpie marker to extend the projected hurricane path to include Alabama.

Democrats and some voices in the scientific community have focused on Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation's 900-page plan for a rightward shift in American government and society, as evidence that a second Trump administration would gut the National Weather Service and the National Weather Service. Hurricane Center.

Project 2025 calls for refocusing the National Weather Service on commercial operations, arguing that it should simply collect data for private companies such as AccuWeather, effectively ending public weather forecasting.

The document also calls on the next administration to review the work of the National Hurricane Center and asserts that data collected by the center should be presented in a neutral manner, without adjustments intended to support either side in the debate over the climate.

Trump has denied that Project 2025 has anything to do with his campaign or his second-term agenda. But he previously praised Heritage for its efforts, which included many conservatives who worked in or with his first administration.

During an appearance Monday in Valdosta, Georgia, Trump suggested that Republican Gov. Brian Kemp had not been able to contact Biden about relief. But Kemp told reporters that he spoke with Biden the day before and that the president told him to call him directly if the state had additional needs. I appreciate that, Kemp said.

FEMA uses its Disaster Relief Fund to coordinate the federal response to major disasters. It finances, among other things, the removal of debris, the repair of public infrastructure and financial aid to survivors. The temporary spending bill passed and signed into law last week injected about $20 billion into the fund and gave FEMA the ability to spend that money more quickly.

That should help the agency meet the most immediate needs, but lawmakers from both parties acknowledge that additional funds will be needed in the coming months. Lawmakers are expected to return to Washington soon after the November election and negotiate a full-year spending bill as many lawmakers will seek billions more dollars for the disaster relief fund.

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Will Weissert and Kevin Freking in Washington, Jill Colvin in New York and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this story.

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