Harris Rallies Support in North Carolina After Hurricane Helene \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Vice President Kamala Harris is in North Carolina for a weekend of campaign events following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. Harris is meeting with Black community leaders, attending a church service as part of a “Souls to the Polls” initiative, and participating in a rally to boost voter turnout ahead of early voting. The trip emphasizes both hurricane recovery efforts and the Biden-Harris administration’s economic message, while also countering criticism from former President Donald Trump regarding the federal response to the disaster.
Kamala Harris Returns to North Carolina: Quick Looks
- Hurricane Relief Focus: Harris meets with local Black leaders and volunteers aiding recovery efforts in Raleigh following Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
- “Souls to the Polls” Initiative: She will attend a church service in Greenville as part of efforts to drive early voter turnout.
- Economic Campaign Message: Harris is focusing on price gouging and inflation as central themes, warning companies against taking advantage of shortages caused by natural disasters.
- Trump’s Criticism: Former President Trump falsely accuses the Biden administration of prioritizing immigrants over hurricane victims in the relief response, comparing it to the government’s handling of Hurricane Katrina.
- Harris’ Broader Campaign Tour: In addition to her relief efforts, Harris has campaigned in swing states such as Nevada and Arizona, positioning herself as a strong advocate for voters in battleground states.
Deep Look
Vice President Kamala Harris has returned to North Carolina this weekend for a series of campaign events in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Her visit marks a strategic push by the Biden-Harris campaign to solidify support in the battleground state while emphasizing the administration’s response to the natural disaster. Harris will meet with local Black leaders, attend church services, and speak at a rally designed to mobilize voters ahead of North Carolina’s early voting period, which begins on Thursday.
Harris’ weekend trip is the latest step in a broader campaign strategy that seeks to shore up key Democratic constituencies in North Carolina, a state that narrowly backed Republican Donald Trump in 2020 but is now considered up for grabs in the upcoming presidential election. With a base of Black voters, women concerned about abortion protections, and college-educated residents, Democrats are increasingly hopeful that North Carolina could swing in their favor.
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on September 26, has become a focal point of Harris’ visit. The hurricane left behind a trail of devastation, killing roughly 230 people, destroying roads, power lines, and cell service infrastructure, and displacing thousands of residents. Harris first visited the state last week to survey the destruction and meet with victims, offering reassurances that the federal government would continue to provide resources for the recovery efforts. On Saturday, she will once again shift focus to the state’s hardest-hit communities, this time meeting with volunteers and community leaders involved in hurricane relief efforts.
Harris will also hold discussions with Black community leaders in Raleigh, addressing both the immediate needs of hurricane victims and the longer-term concerns of the community. Black voters have long been a critical component of Democratic electoral strategy in North Carolina, and Harris is working to energize this base in the run-up to early voting.
“Souls to the Polls” and Rallying Support for Early Voting
In addition to relief efforts, Harris’ trip also underscores her broader push to drive voter turnout. On Sunday, she will attend a “Souls to the Polls” event in Greenville, a key city on North Carolina’s coastal plain. The initiative encourages churchgoers, particularly in Black communities, to vote early after attending religious services. The Biden-Harris campaign views this effort as critical to ensuring high voter turnout in a state where Democrats see a real opportunity to secure electoral victory.
Following the church service, Harris will attend a rally focused on the economy, a key theme of her campaign message. During the rally, she is expected to address job creation, economic recovery, and inflation. However, one of her primary messages will focus on price gouging—an issue that has become even more pressing in the wake of the hurricane. Harris has warned that businesses exploiting shortages of essential goods like gasoline, food, and housing following natural disasters will face consequences.
“To any company or individual that is using this crisis to jack up prices through illegal fraud or price gouging, whether it be at the gas pump, the airport, or the hotel counter, we will be monitoring and there will be a consequence,” Harris said during a Friday briefing. Her tough stance on price gouging comes as inflation and economic inequality continue to be top issues for voters in the 2024 election.
Trump’s Criticism of Hurricane Relief Efforts
As Harris and the Biden administration work to address the needs of those affected by Hurricane Helene, the situation has become a political battleground. Former President Donald Trump and his allies have been vocal in criticizing the federal response to the disaster, falsely suggesting that relief efforts have prioritized immigrants over hurricane victims. During a recent rally in Reading, Pennsylvania, Trump compared the response to the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which resulted in nearly 1,400 deaths and over $200 billion in damages.
“North Carolina’s been hit very hard, and this administration has not done a proper job at all. Terrible, terrible,” Trump said during the rally. He accused Harris of focusing on fundraising and campaigning rather than addressing the crisis, stating, “She’s on a fundraising comedy tour while people are stranded and drowning all over some of our greatest states.”
President Joe Biden quickly rebutted Trump’s claims, calling the former president’s remarks “un-American” and baseless. During a press briefing, Biden said, “The idea that we’re not doing everything we can to help people in North Carolina and across the region after these hurricanes is absurd. Get a life, man.” Biden emphasized the federal government’s commitment to ensuring that every resident affected by the hurricanes receives the assistance they need.
Relief Efforts and Hurricane Milton’s Impact
Harris’ return to North Carolina comes just two weeks after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, causing an estimated $50 billion in damages and claiming more lives in the region. The compounded effects of Helene and Milton have left many states in the southeastern U.S. struggling to recover, and Harris has juggled both her role in disaster response and her commitments to the presidential race.
In addition to her work in North Carolina, Harris has traveled to Georgia, another state affected by Hurricane Helene. She has also virtually attended federal briefings on disaster relief efforts, balancing these duties with campaign trips to critical swing states like Nevada and Arizona. The Biden-Harris campaign is keen to highlight its strong disaster response as part of a broader message about competent leadership and caring for American communities.
Building Momentum Ahead of Early Voting
The timing of Harris’ visit to North Carolina is significant. Early voting in the state begins this Thursday, and her appearance is intended to energize voters in a state where the margins could be razor-thin. Harris’ campaign strategy is clear: engage voters on the ground, address their concerns about economic recovery, and mobilize key constituencies, particularly Black and college-educated voters, to vote early.
North Carolina is seen as pivotal to both parties in the 2024 election. The state’s shifting demographics, including an influx of younger, more progressive voters and women concerned about abortion rights, have given Democrats hope that they can flip the state after narrowly losing it in 2020. At the same time, Republicans, led by Trump, are eager to maintain their stronghold on the state, capitalizing on dissatisfaction with the Biden administration and the economic challenges facing voters.
Harris’ message in North Carolina is one of resilience, both in terms of disaster recovery and political strategy. By focusing on hurricane relief, economic fairness, and voter turnout, Harris is attempting to strengthen Democratic support in a state that could be crucial to the outcome of the 2024 presidential race.
Harris Rallies
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