President Donald Trump said Tuesday his first trip since being sworn in will be to western North Carolina, which still is struggling to recover after it was ravaged by Tropical Storm Helene in late September.
Trump, who told reporters North Carolina had been “abandoned by Democrats,” said he will visit the Tar Heel state Friday, followed by trips to Los Angeles, which has been decimated by raging wildfires, and Nevada.
“I’m going to North Carolina very importantly first,” Trump said. “I’ll be there on Friday, and then I’m going from there to Los Angeles, and then I'm going to Nevada ... to thank them for the vote because we won Nevada overwhelmingly and that's usually a Democrat vote. And I just want to go there to thank the people of Nevada for the big vote.”
He did not indicate which North Carolina city he would visit, but a state GOP official told WLOS-TV in Asheville, North Carolina, "Republican Party leadership is asking for some venue ideas for President Trump, so we're starting to work on where President Trump will be when he comes to western North Carolina."
Western North Carolina was hardest hit by Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 as a hurricane before moving through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee as a tropical storm. The storm caused a reported 104 deaths, destroyed more than 100,000 homes and caused $50 billion in damage to North Carolina alone.
During his trip, Trump will focus on viewing recovery efforts, according to WLOS. He addressed North Carolina during his inaugural speech Monday, criticizing the Biden administration's response to the disaster.
"Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina – who've been treated so badly – and other states that are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago," Trump said.
While touring Helene damages in Swannanoa, North Carolina, in October, Trump affirmed his commitment to rebuilding communities.
"Every single inch of every property will be fully rebuilt, greater and more beautiful than it was before," Trump said. "Many Americans in this region felt helpless and abandoned and left behind by their government and yet in North Carolina's hour of desperation, the American people answered the call more so than your federal government."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was roundly criticized for its relief efforts under former President Joe Biden, on Tuesday extended its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program for two months, through May 26, according to NC Newsline.
The program that allows disaster survivors to be housed in temporary, short-term accommodations when other housing options are not available was set to end in March. State officials said the extension will help more than 2,700 households impacted by Helene to remain housed in hotels, so long as they have a need.