President Trump, shown here standing with first lady Melania Trump, speaks to reporters at the White House before leaving for his trip to North Carolina and California on Jan. 24.
Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump is taking the first trip of his term on Friday to North Carolina and California, visiting communities grappling with recovery from natural disasters.
In Fletcher, N.C., Trump is receiving a briefing on recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene — and then meeting with families in Swannanoa.
Trump, who has been critical of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, repeated some of his complaints after landing in Asheville, N.C.
“They’ve been abused by what’s happened,” Trump said. “FEMA has really let us down, let the country down.”
He vowed to “supply the money — supply a lot of the money” for recovery. But Trump also said that he thinks state governments should take care of disasters.
Later on Friday, he will tour the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and get a briefing on the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
Trump has said he feels that North Carolina was treated “unfairly” by the Biden administration after Hurricane Helene, which hit in the middle of the presidential campaign. He has said, without evidence, that Democrats withheld aid from Republican areas.
He has also indicated he sees aid for California as leverage for getting support from Democrats in Congress for some of his legislative priorities.
This is a continuing story that may be updated.
