Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson addresses reporters at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Louisburg, North Carolina on Oct. 2, 2024. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)
LOUISBURG — North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on Wednesday predicted that he would be called a “hero” in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, as he called the state’s recovery response led by Gov. Roy Cooper “abysmal,” while touting his own efforts.
Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, also said that a Council of State vote to grant Cooper emergency powers in which he was the only member not to participate was “inconsequential.”
“Our response has been to respond to the people who have need,” Robinson told reporters outside the Franklin County Sheriff’s office. “That’s exactly what we have done. And again, I’m urging the governor to do more, more National Guardsmen, allow the energy of private industry to get involved.”
Cooper, who will again be in western North Carolina today along with President Joe Biden, has mobilized the National Guard as well as emergency staff, and asked for federal assistance, which has been granted. He’s led several public briefings alongside emergency response officials.
Gov. Roy Cooper and DHHS Sec. Kody Kinsley receive an update on Mission Hospital’s recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. Getting the region’s water systems fully functioning is a chief concern even as a surge of resources arrive in Western NC (Pool photo/Paul Barker)
The lieutenant governor, whose office does not have any formal responsibilities for storm recovery, has opted to partner with the Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White to deliver supplies to impacted areas through private flights.
Asked whether his appearance Wednesday was official or campaign-related, he said it was a “campaign to bring relief to the people of North Carolina.” And he later said that he wasn’t attempting to be a “hero” or “big shot.”
“The only thing I’ve ever sought to do is serve the people of this state well,” Robinson said. “Going through this experience right now drives that point home, because I can guarantee you somebody out there, after all this is over, is going to look at me and say, ‘you know, you are a hero for what you did.’
“I can guarantee you someone’s going to say that, whether it’s somebody I love, a constituent, no matter who,” he added. “But I can tell you this, to quote a soldier from World War II, here in North Carolina, I am not a hero, folks. But I serve in a state full of heroes, and I have seen them over the last five days, folks.”
Staff from both Robinson’s official state office and his campaign were present in Louisburg on Wednesday.
The governor’s spokesperson wrote on social media Wednesday that Robinson’s criticism of the state response was “unhelpful” and “potentially puts lives at risk.”
Missed Council of State vote was ‘inconsequential,’ Robinson says
Cooper requested ahead of Helene that the nine statewide elected officials on the Council of State approve a state of emergency. WRAL reported Wednesday that Robinson was the only member not to cast a vote, a decision that former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory told the news station was “inexcusable.”
Robinson told reporters the measure “was going to pass with or without my vote.”
“It was absolutely inconsequential,” Robinson said. “It didn’t matter.”
Robinson was not present on a virtual meeting of the Council of State on Tuesday.
Robinson says Biden and federal response are ‘of little or no consequence to me’
Robinson wrote on social media Tuesday that the federal government “failed to act” in response to the storm.
“Joe Biden told the people of North Carolina they had no more supplies for us,” Robinson wrote.
There is no evidence that Biden has said that. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell has been on the ground in western North Carolina, and Biden is set to survey the damage by air with Cooper today.
More than 3,500 federal personnel are deployed across the impacted areas of Helene, according to the White House, and direct assistance is available to help pay for essential items like food, water and baby formula.
“Ask the people of western North Carolina if Joe Biden’s response has made worth a hill of beans to them,” Robinson said. “It has not.”