ASHEVILLE, N.C. — President Donald Trump is in western North Carolina Friday to visit the area still trying to bounce back after Helene brought unprecedented flooding on Sept. 27, 2024.
Trump has been in the Asheville area twice during the 2024 presidential campaign, and Friday will be his first visit since taking the oath of office on Monday.
Trump and First Lady Melania departed from Joint Base Andrews in Air Force One and landed at the Asheville Regional Airport at 10:50 p.m., ABC affiliate WLOS reported.
Trump told reporters that he plans on signing an executive order “fundamentally reforming” the Federal Emergency Management Agency “or maybe getting rid of them,” ABC News reported.
“FEMA has been a very big disappointment,” the president said in an AP report. “It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow. Other than that, we’re very happy with them.”
Beyond Trump’s criticism of FEMA, he’s suggested limiting the federal government’s role in responding to disasters, echoing comments from conservative allies who have proposed reducing funding and responsibility.
“I’d like to see the states take care of disasters,” he said after landing in the Asheville area. “Let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen.”
“It’s very bureaucratic. And it’s very slow,” he said.
Trump said that would be quicker and cheaper than sending in FEMA.
“FEMA just hasn’t done the job,” the president said. “We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA.”
During his visit, he met with families in Swannanoa.
FEMA has distributed $319 million in financial assistance to residents, but that hasn’t alleviated the feeling of abandonment among residents who are struggling to rebuild their lives, WLOS reported.
Laurie Carpenter, a 62-year-old retiree in Newland, North Carolina, told WLOS that there’s still debris and trash strewn around her part of the state. She was looking forward to Trump’s visit because she’s been disappointed by the federal response.
“If anybody’s going to do something about it, I think he will,” Carpenter said.
Sarah Wells Rolland, whose Asheville pottery studio was destroyed by flooding, is less enthusiastic. Her town leans Democratic, and she’s worried that Trump won’t prioritize its rebuilding.
“I’m not overly optimistic that the Trump administration is going to do anything long-term,” she said.
The Associated Press, WLOS, and ABC News contributed to this article.
VIDEO: Trump to visit flood-ravaged western North Carolina
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