PERRY, Fla. — President Joe Biden visited victims devastated by Hurricane Helene on Thursday in Florida and Georgia, emphasizing the need to set aside “extreme partisanship” to provide necessary assistance.

This trip occurred as his administration’s response to the hurricane is under review, with the presidential election just a month away.

“Our aim is to support as many individuals as possible,” Biden remarked at the Shiloh Pecan Farm in Ray City, Georgia, where the storm caused significant damage. “Moreover, I hope this effort can help reduce the extreme partisanship we see today. There’s no justification for it.”

Earlier, Biden took a helicopter ride aboard Marine One, touring areas of Florida’s Big Bend from above. The flight originated in Tallahassee, the capital, and included a close view of the flooded coastal areas before landing in Perry, a town heavily impacted by last month’s Category 4 storm.

Biden also made a stop at Keaton Beach in Florida, where his motorcade drove past uprooted trees, downed power lines, and destroyed homes. He toured the affected beachfront along with local leaders and was joined by Republican Senator Rick Scott from Florida. During the visit, he met a couple who lost their home to the storm and who are now staying in an RV in their driveway.

“Everything can be rebuilt,” the man told Biden.

During his journey, a man standing in front of his house gestured offensively at Biden’s motorcade.

The widespread destruction from the hurricane impacts critical states like Georgia and North Carolina, making the administration’s response vital for the upcoming 2024 election.

Neither Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis nor Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp, both Republicans, accompanied Biden during his tour. However, Biden had a phone conversation with Kemp earlier in the day, as shared by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

“We have clearly extended an invitation to them,” Jean-Pierre mentioned. “They are welcome to join us.”

Kemp was reportedly assessing damage in another part of Georgia. Notably, he also did not accompany Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for president, when Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday to evaluate the storm’s impact.

Biden administration advocates for Helene relief for farmers

The toll from Hurricane Helene has reached over 200, and authorities fear the number could increase as rescue operations continue. This includes 97 fatalities in North Carolina, 41 in South Carolina, 33 in Georgia, 19 in Florida, 11 in Tennessee, and two in Virginia, according to an analysis by the YSL News Network.

This visit followed Biden’s assessment of storm aftermath in South Carolina and parts of western North Carolina, where areas experienced severe flooding in Asheville and remote Appalachian villages. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, visited Augusta, Georgia, the previous day and has plans to go to North Carolina soon. On Thursday, Harris will campaign in Wisconsin alongside former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Trump has criticized Biden for being at his beach house and Harris for attending a fundraiser last weekend while flooding occurred, stating that Kemp was unable to reach Biden for emergency aid discussions.

Administration officials confirmed that both Harris and Biden were kept informed about the ongoing disaster and played active roles in managing the emergency response.

During their time away from Washington, Biden and Kemp had conversations, contradicting Trump’s claim that they hadn’t communicated recently.

Biden authorized federal support for Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina to cover all state and local expenses related to debris clearance, rescue operations, mass feeding, and other emergency responses following the hurricane.

On the trip with Biden, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted the federal assistance available for farmers affected by the disaster. This includes various crop insurance schemes that offer payments within 30 days, as well as funds to assist with debris removal, repairs, erosion control, and livestock losses.

“This is particularly pertinent in Georgia, where numerous poultry operations have sustained damage due to the storm,” Vilsack stated.

The response to the disaster has seen over 4,800 federal personnel deployed to the southeastern regions, including more than 1,200 from FEMA. The agency has delivered over 9.3 million meals, 11.2 million liters of water, 150 generators, and more than 260,000 tarps to the affected areas. So far, FEMA has sanctioned over $20 million in immediate aid for those impacted.

Teams engaged in search and rescue efforts have completed nearly 1,500 structural assessments and carried out hundreds of rescues and evacuations.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend near Perry last week as a Category 4 storm with winds reaching 140 mph. Although the winds weakened, heavy rains caused severe flooding across a 500-mile stretch of an already saturated region.

Flash floods and mudslides in the Appalachians led to numerous casualties, property destruction, road collapses, and damage to entire communities.

Buck Paulk, the proprietor of the pecan farm that Biden visited, described the chaos caused by the storm as a “challenging situation.”

“You just need to understand that help is necessary,” he said. “We can’t just bounce back from this.”

Biden has declared a major disaster in parts of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and eight counties in Tennessee.

Officials from Biden’s administration are preparing for a lengthy recovery process, projected to cost billions and span years.

The outgoing president indicated this week that he plans to request Congress for a supplemental spending bill to finance the federal expenses related to Hurricane Helene relief. A group of bipartisan senators representing the most affected states urged their colleagues on Tuesday to pass additional legislation for resources. They also suggested the need for an emergency session before Election Day.

“We cannot wait. People require assistance immediately,” Biden said in response to concerns about the urgency of additional funding for Helene’s relief. In contrast, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that Congress could delay action until after the election.

Impact on the Election

The recovery operations are ongoing with less than 35 days remaining until the presidential election.

As Trump criticizes Biden’s handling of the situation, new reports from Politico’s E&E News revealed that during his presidency from January 2017 to January 2021, Trump was reluctant to provide aid to regions he perceived as leaning Democratic on several occurrences. The report references an examination of Trump’s actions and interviews with former aides Mark Harvey and Olivia Troye.

Biden retweeted the piece on Tuesday afternoon and responded to its claims by saying, “You can’t help only those in need if they supported you.”

“This is fundamental to being a president, and this individual is completely unaware,” Biden added.

Trump’s campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, dismissed the report as “fake news” and claimed, “None of this is true and is purely a figment of someone’s distorted imagination,” Cheung commented to YSL News.

Responses to natural disasters, especially those occurring in the fall, have notably influenced presidential elections in the past.

In the days leading up to the 2012 presidential election, then-President Barack Obama was seen alongside then-Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, showcasing bipartisan cooperation in the face of disasters.

Republican leaders were observed touring the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, a moment that was praised as a bipartisan effort. This display of unity helped boost President Obama’s poll numbers as he moved towards his re-election win against Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Back in 1992, President George H.W. Bush faced backlash for how he handled the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, which struck Florida and Louisiana just three months prior to the presidential election. The hurricane resulted in 33 fatalities and inflicted damages exceeding $28 billion. Bush managed to win Florida by a narrow margin after previously winning it by a significant amount in the last election. However, he ultimately lost the re-election race to Bill Clinton.