Long before the outer bands of Hurricane Milton lashed the Florida coast, a political battle over the massive storm was already raging. A potential natural disaster of such magnitude — this may be the gargantuan climate-change fueled monster that scientists have long feared — ought to be immune from political opportunism. But in the final weeks of a presidential election featuring a candidate as unrelenting as Donald Trump , nothing escapes partisanship and Milton’s aftermath may prove to be the next opening for the ex-president’s maelstrom of misinformation.
Usually, political shocks caused by hurricanes only unfold when the gale force winds have passed. This time, partly because Trump pushed so hard to exploit last week’s Hurricane Helene for his political gain, the sparring has started early. For Vice President Kamala Harris , the storm offers a perilous spotlight, which could allow her to show she can master the media moment in a presidential context.
It could showcase her capacity to express empathy for victims and her command of the federal government machine. But any failures of the federal rescue and relief effort after the storm is expected to roar ashore on late Wednesday or early Thursday could haunt her before next month’s election. Harris’ test will be complicated by the likelihood that even if the federal effort goes well, Trump is sure to fabricate a story implicating her in failure.
This explains why the Democratic nominee tried to get out in fro.