Former President Donald J. Trump told struggling western North Carolina, “We will never forget you,” and said the devastation caused by Hurricane Helen left the region “bigger and more beautiful than ever.” “We will address this issue by making efforts to address the issue.” ”
With a distant mountain of storm debris in his background, Trump sought to console the spirits of suffering residents, community leaders and first responders whose missions shifted from search and rescue to recovering the dead.
“We're praying for you and we'll never forget you,” Trump said at a news conference in Swannanoa, North Carolina. “We will never forget you. We will work with you for a long time to get things back on track.”
In the first of three visits to North Carolina scheduled for Oct. 21, President Trump said he was stunned by the storm's devastation as his motorcade was en route from Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina.
“What an amazing act of citizenship and service.”
“It's a pretty incredible sight. That amount of destruction is just an incredible sight,” Trump said. “It's incredible. It's a force of nature. There's nothing we can do about it, but we need to hire a little bit better staff to do a better job than the White House has been doing.”
President Trump cited the rescue and humanitarian efforts of Savage Freedoms, which transforms local Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealerships into air and ground hubs and coordinates storm relief distribution and searches. Savage Freedoms was featured in Blaze News on October 16th.
“There is nothing more moving than seeing the American spirit triumph over adversity in the most selfless acts of generosity and love,” President Trump said.
On October 21, 2024, while visiting Swannanoa, North Carolina, former President Donald J. Trump spoke with Adam Smith of Savage Freedoms, an organization that turned a motorcycle shop into a helipad and storm relief center. Say hello.Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
“One of the patrons who came forward to help was Adam Smith, a former Green Beret. Adam converted the parking lot of his Harley-Davidson dealership into an improvised air base and helped distribute supplies,” Trump said. the president said. “Great job. Adam, what a great piece of citizenship and service.”
Smith organized the relief center with the help of hundreds of volunteers, including many other special operations veterans. An adjacent field has been converted into a helipad to fly supplies and crop feed to a remote mountain region cut off from civilization by devastating rains and landslides in late September.
Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, was impressed by the center's visit. The next day, the 101st Airborne Division sent 100 soldiers to support center operations.
Smith thanked Trump and said his presence would remain “on the map” as the region rebuilds. Smith said President Trump's decision to postpone the visit “gives rescue teams the space to operate and function, and it gives us the space to provide relief where it's needed.”
Adam Smith of the Savage Freedoms relief effort speaks to volunteers at a temporary supply warehouse at a Harley-Davidson dealership in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on October 15, 2024.
Photo by Steve Baker/Blaze News
“The biggest fear that Western North Carolina has right now is that it will be forgotten, at least by the communities that we've talked to,” Smith told the 45th president. “And having the opportunity for you to come here and have this conversation on a national level is what keeps Western North Carolina on the map and prevents communities from being left carrying the burden of this problem. It will happen.”
President Trump harshly criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response to Hurricane Helen and the hundreds of millions of dollars the agency spent resettling illegal aliens across the United States.
“There was very little effort to rescue them,” Trump said.
President Trump has said he is in favor of calling Congress into a special session to approve expanded federal aid to states affected by Hurricanes Helen and Milton, but FEMA has said that He said the funds should be on hand.
“So there is no money to help people who live here who have been hit by the worst storm, probably the worst storm ever, but one of the worst storms in the history of our country,” Trump said. “And it's a shame because they're supposed to have the money. You know, they spent more money than I believe they should be spending on that.”
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