President Joe Biden faced mounting criticism after he spent part of the weekend at his Rehoboth Beach home in Delaware, while Hurricane Helene ravaged several Southeastern states. Helene, a devastating Category 4 hurricane, made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, causing widespread destruction, leaving over 100 people dead, and knocking out power for millions across six states. As emergency services battled to manage the crisis, Biden defended his decision to stay at the beach, stating that he remained fully engaged with disaster response efforts via phone.
During a press conference, Biden was asked why he wasn't at the White House overseeing the federal response directly, given the storm’s unprecedented impact. The president responded sharply, saying, “I was commanding it. It’s called a telephone.” Biden emphasized that he had been in constant communication with federal agencies, governors, and emergency responders during the crisis, which left millions without power in states like Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The president also returned to the White House earlier than scheduled as the storm's aftermath unfolded.
"Do you have any words to the victims of the hurricane?"
BIDEN: "We've given everything that we have."
"Are there any more resources the federal government could be giving them?"
BIDEN: "No." pic.twitter.com/jDMNGhpjOz
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 30, 2024
Critics, however, remained unimpressed by Biden’s explanation. His absence from Washington at a time when many Americans were struggling to survive raised questions about his leadership, particularly as Vice President Kamala Harris was also away on a West Coast campaign tour. Harris cut short her trip to return to Washington, further highlighting the administration’s delay in appearing fully engaged with the hurricane response.
Biden pointed out that traveling to the affected areas immediately could hinder rescue efforts. He suggested that such a visit might draw resources away from the ongoing emergency response operations and vowed to visit the storm-hit regions later in the week. "I’m committed to traveling to the impacted areas as soon as possible, but we will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response assets needed to deal with the situation,” Biden stated.
Biden tells North Carolina, which has been completely ravaged by Hurricane Helene with entire towns destroyed, that they’re not getting anymore aid.
Kamala is campaigning 2,000 miles away in Vegas.
It’s imperative that we vote these people out of office.pic.twitter.com/DysUSaRVfM
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 30, 2024
The devastation left by Hurricane Helene was immense, with some areas facing historic flooding. North Carolina saw particularly severe damage, where floodwaters cut off entire communities, further hampering rescue and recovery operations. Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina reported multiple fatalities as the storm left a trail of destruction across the Southeast.
Biden assured the public that his administration would request additional federal funds to assist with the recovery efforts. He anticipated asking Congress for a supplemental funding bill, though he admitted it was too early to specify the exact amount needed for the rebuilding of the ravaged states.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump took advantage of Biden’s absence by visiting Georgia to survey the damage himself. Trump’s visit highlighted the stark contrast between the two leaders' approaches, as Biden faced growing disapproval from both his critics and constituents for remaining at the beach during the storm’s peak.
As rescue and recovery efforts continued, millions of residents in the affected areas remained without power. Georgia alone saw over a million people lose electricity, with several hospitals also impacted by outages. South Carolina was hit particularly hard, with over 1.3 million residents facing power cuts. The death toll, already in the triple digits, was expected to rise further as communication lines were restored in some of the more isolated communities.
