Roads in Western North Carolina will require extensive repairs. The above photo is in Southeastern Buncombe County; South of N.C. 9 (Photo: NCDOT)
With a massive natural disaster devastating portions of North Carolina in recent days, numerous political figures have weighed in.
But not all of the information they’re sharing is accurate.
NC Newsline fact checked some recent statements from four individuals in the North Carolina political sphere.
Former President Donald Trump spreads “barrage of lies”
Donald Trump has shared numerous pieces of misinformation in the past week.
He said Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp wasn’t able to get a hold of President Joe Biden, a claim which both leaders swiftly corrected.
Trump accused the Biden-Harris administration of giving FEMA funds to migrant communities and undocumented immigrants. Several political figures have repeated these allegations.
FEMA issued a statement categorically denying the allegation in which it stated that money in the Disaster Relief Fund cannot be diverted to any other efforts.
On Monday, Trump penned an all-uppercase sentence on Truth Social attacking his opponent in the presidential race: “NORTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY ABANDONED BY KAMALA!!!” In fact, Vice President Kamala Harris visited impacted areas in western North Carolina over the weekend and pledged ongoing federal support. She has also visited the Helene-impacted states of South Carolina and Georgia.
The editorial board of Raleigh’s News & Observer and the Charlotte Observer criticized Trump for wrongfully politicizing the disaster.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson issues several false or misleading statements
While Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has actively coordinated recovery efforts with federal and state leaders from even prior to Helene’s arrival, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has repeatedly derided he governor’s efforts and called himself a “hero” for having participated in some private recovery work along with the sheriff of central North Carolina’s Franklin County.
Robinson also slammed Cooper for “hob-knobing [sic] with rich folks in New York” instead of preparing for the storm. In fact, the governor was in New York the day before Helene made landfall in Florida, but not at a fundraiser. Cooper was a speaker at a climate change conference hosted by The New York Times and was in touch with relevant state emergency preparedness personnel during the trip.
In keeping with this pattern, Robinson has also shared several photos of himself with aircraft and supplies on social media, even as he was the only Council of State member to miss a vote declaring a state emergency — an action which he called “inconsequential.”
Robinson also attacked President Biden by claiming that he had said the federal government “had no more supplies” for North Carolina. In fact, the president approved more federal aid for the state.
The lieutenant governor also misleadingly attempted to call out the media as well, claiming there was a lack of reporting in the western part of the state. In fact, state news media outlets — including several in impacted sections of the state — have produced hundreds of news articles throughout the disaster.
Congressional candidate misportrays Trump’s involvement
Addison McDowell, the GOP nominee for Congress the state’s sixth congressional district, posted on social media that Trump “personally delivered” Starlink devices to western North Carolina.
Trump has not visited the affected areas in North Carolina since before the hurricane. He held a town hall in Fayetteville on Friday, and his last trip to western North Carolina was for a rally in Asheville on Aug. 14.
His daughter Ivanka flew out to Hickory last week to distribute 300 Starlinks, devices using satellites to provide high-speed internet access.
The former president said he’ll visit western North Carolina this week, but doesn’t want to do anything “that’s going to interrupt” rescue efforts.
GOP congressional challenger inaccurately denounces federal involvement
Army veteran Laurie Buckhout is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Don Davis in North Carolina’s first congressional district, widely considered the state’s only competitive U.S. House race.
She posted on social media claiming the “Harris-Biden administration is sitting on their heels” while private citizens step up to fill in and provide support.
It’s true that private individuals and organizations have been involved with relief efforts by donating supplies and volunteering. But the federal government hasn’t abandoned the state.
Biden took an aerial tour over the Asheville area to survey damage and attended an emergency operations briefing in Raleigh last week. He accepted Cooper’s request for the federal government to cover costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures for six months.
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell is remaining on the ground in North Carolina until the situation stabilizes, as directed by the president.