The Associated Press Hurricane Helene is scrambling the presidential candidates’ plans this week. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is cutting short a campaign visit to Las Vegas to return to Washington for briefings. Republican candidate Donald Trump is heading to Georgia to see the storm’s impact.
He criticized Harris for holding fundraisers in California over the weekend. The White House says Harris will visit impacted areas when it won’t affect recovery efforts. The death toll is more than 100 people, with some of the worst destruction caused by inland flooding in North Carolina.
Hurricane Helene is shifting the presidential candidates’ plans this week Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is cutting short a campaign visit to Las Vegas to return to Washington for briefings. Republican candidate Donald Trump is heading to Georgia to see the storm’s impact. In addition to being humanitarian crises, natural disasters can create political tests for elected officials, particularly in the closing weeks of a presidential campaign.
Presidents typically avoid racing toward disaster zones so they don’t interfere with recovery efforts. The White House said Harris would visit impacted areas “as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations.” President Joe Biden was scheduled to speak about his administration’s response to Hurricane Helene on Monday morning.
He plans to visit areas affected by the storm later this week, with efforts to not disrupt.
