President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during an indoor inauguration parade at the Capital One Arena on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump will head to western North Carolina on Friday for his first trip after returning to the White House, according to the New York Post.
During his inaugural address on Monday, Trump spoke about how Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc upon rural areas of the Tar Heel State in late September.
“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, or more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense,” Trump said during his speech.
The storm killed more than 100 people in North Carolina and left thousands without shelter, resulting in more than $50 billion in damages.
Trump won North Carolina for the third time in 2024, campaigning heavily in the state. He held 19 separate events in the state that year, according to NC Newsline’s analysis, including a rally in Raleigh on the day before the election.
He last visited the western portion of the state in late October. The then-presidential hopeful make a campaign stop in storm-damaged Swannanoa.
Trump heavily criticized President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and FEMA in the weeks following the storm, but was found on multiple occasions to have been spreading misinformation.
The White House has yet to release more specific details about the trip’s timing, locations, and other guests, as well as what Trump intends to do. He’s also expected to visit California and address the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area, multiple outlets reported.
Governor Josh Stein said during an unrelated news conference that he hopes to meet with the president, according to McClatchy.
“I think that is very good news for the people of western North Carolina that this issue is front of mind for the new administration,” Stein said.