By tf-lawyer.com On September 30th, former President Donald Trump made a visit to the Chez What furniture store in Valdosta, Georgia, which had been severely affected by Hurricane Helen, a disaster that impacted six states, including Georgia. During his visit, Trump took a notable stance by insisting, “We’re not discussing politics right now,” and refrained from directly criticizing President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. This was in stark contrast to Democratic presidential candidate Harris, who returned to Washington, D.C., to participate in a briefing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Later, Trump referred to the images taken during her briefing as “staged” and “fake.”
In an interview with reporters while touring Valdosta, Trump remarked, “We’re not discussing politics right now,” despite having just hours earlier criticized the responses from Biden and Harris regarding the disaster.
On the evening of September 29th, Harris shared photos via X, previously known as Twitter, showcasing her attendance at a FEMA briefing on Hurricane Helen alongside North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. However, one of the images raised eyebrows as she was seen wearing wired headphones that appeared not to be connected to her phone, leading to skepticism about the authenticity of her presentation.
On his platform Truth Social on the 30th, Trump mocked Harris’s photos, quipping, “You need to plug the headset into the phone jack to hear anything.” He pointed out the issue in the image, noting that her headphone wire hung straight down, suggesting it was not actually connected to her phone.
Adding to his criticism, he posted, “Another fake and staged photo from someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.” This isn’t the first time Harris has faced scrutiny regarding her use of phone headsets; there have been earlier incidents where she appeared to be engaged in phone conversations while fielding media questions.
Trump also shared a photo of himself in Valdosta, stating, “I will be there shortly.” In the meantime, Harris has yet to visit any affected disaster areas. Her campaign team announced the cancellation of a rally in Las Vegas scheduled for the evening of the 30th to allow her to return to D.C. for rescue briefings.
Government officials have advised both Harris and Biden against visiting the disaster zones at this time, emphasizing that local authorities are focused on rescue operations and damage assessments.
During his speech in Valdosta, Trump acknowledged the need for federal assistance but mistakenly claimed that Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, had sought help from Biden only to be turned away. The White House quickly clarified that Biden had indeed been in contact with Kemp; White House spokesman Andrew Bates stated on X that “the President called me on the afternoon of the 29th, asking what I needed.”
Kemp also confirmed Biden’s offer, stating, “He said if I needed anything, to call him directly,” and expressed his gratitude for the communication.
