Trump slams US response to Helene. His own disaster-response record is marked by politics

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is criticizing the Biden administration’s response to widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, even as his supporters call for cuts to federal agencies that warn of weather disasters and deliver relief to hard-hit communities. As president, Trump delayed disaster aid for hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico and diverted money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to try to return undocumented migrants to Mexico. Trump claimed without evidence Monday that President Joe Biden and North Carolina’s Democratic governor were “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.” Biden has approved major disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, and officials are working in at least seven states to respond.