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One of the first questions former president Donald Trump<\/strong> would ask if a state needed disaster aid while he was in office was, \u201cAre they my people?\u201d according<\/a> to Stephanie Grisham<\/strong>, who served as the White House press secretary<\/a> under Trump from 2019 to 2020 and is now supporting<\/a> Vice President Kamala Harris<\/strong>\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n As the last weeks have shown, natural disasters, worsened by climate change<\/a>, don\u2019t discriminate based on how many registered Democrats or Republicans are in the state.<\/p>\n Harris said this week that she wanted to \u201cpersonally take a look at the devastation<\/a>, which is extraordinary.\u201d She expressed admiration for how \u201cpeople are coming together. People are helping perfect strangers,” according to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n Since Hurricane Helene hit the southeastern United States in late September<\/a>, over 200 people<\/a> have died, making it the fourth-deadliest hurricane to make landfall on the mainland since 1950.<\/p>\n Trump has visited areas impacted by Helene in recent days to survey the damage done\u2014and to prop up unfounded conspiracies<\/a> about the Joe Biden<\/strong>-Harris administration\u2019s handling of disaster relief.<\/p>\n In a Monday Truth Social post<\/a>, Trump announced he was traveling to the region and claimed that he doesn\u2019t \u201clike the reports that I\u2019m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of [North Carolina], going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas. MAGA!\u201d On Thursday, the former president also said that \u201cKamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants.\u201d That\u2019s not true<\/a>. According to the Times<\/em>, \u201cno disaster funding has been spent on those shelters.\u201d<\/p>\n During a Tuesday appearance in Augusta, Georgia, Harris announced<\/a> that Biden approved the governor\u2019s request for 100% federal reimbursement of local costs, adding, \u201cI want to thank the local leaders for, together, creating a task force-like response, knowing that we are at our best when we work together and coordinate resources, coordinate our communications to the maximum effect for the community that has been impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n As Trump spreads these unfounded theories, Republican governors across the region have presented a different tone<\/a>.<\/p>\n Republican South Carolina governor Henry McMaster<\/strong> said<\/a> at a Tuesday press conference that federal assistance had \u201cbeen superb.\u201d \u201cThank you to President Biden,\u201d Governor Glenn Youngkin<\/strong> wrote in a press release, adding during a Monday address<\/a> that he was \u201cincredibly appreciative of the rapid response and the cooperation from the federal team at FEMA.\u201d Bill Lee<\/strong>, Tennessee\u2019s Republican governor, said<\/a> that the \u201cresponse was quick from the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n On Saturday, Harris is headed to North Carolina to continue monitoring the state of devastation in the southeast. Concurrently, Trump will be back in Butler, Pennsylvania, at the site of the first failed assassination attempt against him in July. Elon Musk<\/strong>, who endorsed<\/a> Trump following the shooting, will reportedly<\/a> also be in attendance. Trump has blamed<\/a> Biden, Harris, and Democrats more broadly for both of the attempts on his life.<\/p>\n During the 2018 California wildfires, the deadliest<\/a> in its history, Trump initially opposed sending federal monies to the state, per reporting<\/a> from The New York Times<\/em> based on two former administration officials. \u201cBut Mr. Trump shifted his position after his advisers found data showing that large numbers of his supporters were being affected by the infernos,\u201d the Times<\/em>\u2019 Tim Balk<\/strong> writes.<\/p>\n Vice President Mike Pence<\/strong>\u2019s homeland security adviser, Olivia Troye<\/strong>, said that at first, Trump instructed those in charge not to send \u201cany money\u201d to California. \u201cWe saw numerous instances \u2014 this was just one \u2014 where it was politicized,\u201d Troye told the Times<\/em>. \u201cIt was red states vs. blue states.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone of this is true and is nothing more than a fabricated story from someone\u2019s demented imagination,\u201d Steven Cheung<\/strong>, a campaign spokesman, said in a statement to the Times<\/em>. \u201cIn and out of office, President Trump has shown up to provide aid and relief to Americans in the wake of natural disasters.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n