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President Trump announced plans to visit disaster-affected regions across the country, beginning with North Carolina on Friday, citing the state’s prolonged suffering and inadequate treatment of its residents.
π¨#BREAKING: President Trump will visit Western North Carolina on Friday! πΊπΈπΊπΈπΊπΈ
WE HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN!!!!! pic.twitter.com/qH8maFlyL8
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) January 21, 2025
The stark contrast between America’s generous foreign aid spending and domestic disaster response has become increasingly apparent. The Biden administration’s allocation of $230 million for a temporary floating pier near Gaza, which lasted merely 20 days, stands in sharp relief against the struggles of disaster-struck American communities in Hawaii, North Carolina, and California.
Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact left over 100 Americans dead and caused extensive infrastructure damage, including 6,000 miles of damaged roads, more than 160 affected water and sewer systems, over 1,000 damaged bridges and culverts, and approximately 73,000 damaged homes. Trump highlighted the disparity between foreign and domestic aid responses during this crisis.
“They’re offering them $750, to people whose homes have been washed away. And yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of,” President Donald Trump said at an Oct. 5 rally, referring to the one-time $750-per-household payment to eligible disaster survivors through FEMA’s “Serious Needs Assistance.” “Think of it: We give foreign countries hundreds of billions of dollars and we’re handing North Carolina $750.”
In his inaugural address, Trump emphasized this disconnect: “We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people. Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina β who have been treated so badly β and other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago or, more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense.”
A December assessment revealed the staggering cost of damages and needs in North Carolina, totaling over $59.6 billion. Despite some federal assistance trickling in, many residents continue to feel abandoned by their government.
Local residents in Swannanoa have reported minimal federal support. Ian Monley from Valley Strong Disaster Relief described dire living conditions, stating, “We’ve seen people living in condemned trailers where they have raw sewage under their trailers. We’ve seen people living in tents. We’ve seen people living in cars. Normally, you see FEMA trailers rolling in and things to get people housing. And we haven’t seen any of that.”
After implementing a 90-day suspension of foreign development assistance programs, Trump discussed his upcoming visit with Fox News host Sean Hannity, emphasizing his commitment to addressing North Carolina’s ongoing recovery needs.
Josh Stein, North Carolina’s Democratic governor, welcomed the planned presidential visit, expressing optimism about the new administration’s attention to the region’s challenges. While his own attendance remains uncertain, Stein views the visit as positive news for Western North Carolina residents.
Following his North Carolina stop, Trump’s itinerary includes visits to Los Angeles and Nevada.