As of October 5, North Carolina state and local authorities had reported 115 deaths.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.—Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene during a town hall in Fayetteville, North Carolina on October 4 while cleanup and rescue efforts were ongoing on the other side of the state.
Addressing a crowd at the Crown Center Arena, which included many active-duty and retired military members, Trump described the federal response to the disaster as “rotten” and “terrible.”
“They are doing—this is Katrina—the worst job on a hurricane that any administration has ever done. And these people don’t want to talk about it,” Trump said, pointing to the media.
A week after Hurricane Helene struck the region, the death toll continues to climb, revealing the extent of devastation with entire towns destroyed by floodwaters and critical infrastructure severely damaged.
As of October 5, North Carolina state and local authorities had reported 115 deaths, according to local media.
President Joe Biden surveyed the storm damage from the air on October 3 and pledged to deploy 1,000 active-duty U.S. Army troops from Fort Liberty, located on the border of Fayetteville.
Related Stories
Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit the affected areas on October 5.
Trump plans to tour western North Carolina next week, with Asheville located approximately 260 miles west of Fayetteville.
On October 3, Trump stated in a social media post that he did not want to interfere with ongoing rescue efforts.
Earlier in the day, he visited parts of Georgia affected by Hurricane Helene.
Fayetteville is home to Fort Liberty, a large military installation previously known as Fort Bragg until the name was changed to remove Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s name.
Fort Liberty is the base for airborne and special operations forces.
In his opening statements at the town hall, Trump expressed his intention to restore the name Fort Bragg if he is re-elected to the White House.
“This is an honor. You know, I walked in, the first question that I asked, ‘Should we change the name Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg?'”
“So here’s what we do, we get elected—I’m doing it, I’m doing it, I’m doing it,” he added. “You know, we did win two world wars from Fort Bragg, right? So this is no time to be changing names, but we’re gonna do that.”
Originally named Fort Bragg in 1918 to honor the Confederate general, the installation was renamed Fort Liberty in June 2023 as part of the Department of Defense’s initiative to remove Confederate names from military sites.
During his address at the town hall, Trump reiterated his commitment to deporting illegal immigrants aggressively, citing a reduction in crime. He also pledged to increase military salaries and reform healthcare for active-duty personnel and veterans.
“We’re going to take care of our veterans properly,” Trump stated.
Trump has made several appearances in North Carolina this year, having won the state in both of his previous presidential elections, including a 1.3 percent victory in 2020.
Can you please rewrite this for me?
Source link
