WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump complained again Thursday about the federal response to natural disasters that have damaged much of the Southeast, as he tries to take political advantage of the tropical weather.
The former president spoke at the Detroit Economic Club after holding rallies in Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend a Univision town hall in Las Vegas and an evening rally in Phoenix as she remains in close contact with the White House and oversees federal disaster response efforts.
Trump sent a message to those affected by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. He praised the Republican governors of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina but suggested there was a lack of federal response, particularly in North Carolina, where he accused the government of saying Helene “didn’t do what you were supposed to do.”
“You let these people suffer unfairly,” said Trump, who has been spreading falsehoods for several days about the response of President Joe Biden and emergency management officials.
Biden, who said Milton “looks like the storm of the century,” postponed a trip to Germany and Angola to deal with the fallout. He and Harris huddled with senior officials in the situation room to discuss disaster response.
Even in the midst of the hurricane, both Harris and the Trump campaign are using their travel strategically, trying to boost support among key voting blocs that could decide what is expected to be a very close election.
Trump has made a point of winning votes in heavily Hispanic parts of Pennsylvania, including Reading, where he held a rally on Wednesday. Harris is out West as her campaign aims to augment support among Hispanic voters there, particularly men. Her campaign this week launched a group called “Hombres con Harris.”
Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended a Hombres launch event with Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and actor Jaime Camil in Phoenix on Wednesday. Similar gatherings took place elsewhere in Arizona, as well as in Nevada and Pennsylvania.
The group plans to hold upcoming events at Latino-owned petite businesses, union halls, barbecues and community events leading up to Election Day.
The Harris campaign also aimed to reach Hispanic voters who may not be following the election closely, such as inviting Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Harris’ campaign manager, to the recent boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas and holding events in Churches and elsewhere to mark Mexican Independence Day in September.
Harris’ campaign also announced last month that it is spending $3 million on Spanish-language radio advertising and focusing on sporting events such as baseball games and boxing matches.
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama also enters the campaign trail Thursday night, making his first appearance for Harris at a rally in Pittsburgh.
This begins a series of campaign stops that the Harris campaign says Obama will make on behalf of the vice president. Biden spent Monday campaigning in suburban Philadelphia but has appeared with Harris only once, accompanying her on Labor Day in Pittsburgh, since he announced in July that he was leaving the race and endorsing her.
Obama was among the key Democrats who tried behind the scenes to persuade his former Vice President Biden to leave. Obama and Harris have also been friends for two decades, since he ran for Senate in Illinois. She campaigned for him when he sought the presidency in 2008.
