Former President Donald J. Trump told a suffering Western North Carolina, “We will never forget about you,” as he pledged that the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene would be met by efforts to make the region “greater and more beautiful than it was before.”
Standing with a huge pile of storm debris in the distance behind him, Trump sought to buoy the spirits of suffering residents, community leaders, and first responders — whose task has turned from search and rescue to recovery of the dead.
“We’re praying for you, and we will not forget about you,” Trump said at a press conference in Swannanoa, North Carolina. “We will never forget about you. We’re going to be working with you for a long time to come to get it back together.”
In his first of three scheduled North Carolina stops on Oct. 21, Trump said he was amazed by the storm devastation as his motorcade made its way from the Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina.
‘What an amazing act of citizenship and service.’
“That’s quite a scene driving up. You see that kind of destruction, actually incredible to see,” Trump said. “That is incredible. It’s the power of nature. Nothing you can do about it, but you’ve got to get a little bit better crew in to do a better job than has been done by the White House.”
Trump cited the rescue and humanitarian work of Savage Freedoms Relief Operations, which turned a local Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership into an air and ground hub to distribute storm relief and coordinate searches. Savage Freedoms was featured by Blaze News on Oct. 16.
“Nothing is more inspiring than to see the American spirit triumph over adversity with the most selfless acts of generosity and love,” Trump said.
Former President Donald J. Trump greets Adam Smith of Savage Freedoms Relief Operations, a group that turned a motorcycle dealership into a helipad and storm relief center, during a visit to Swannanoa, North Carolina, on Oct. 21, 2024.Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
“One of the patrons who stepped forward to help was Adam Smith, a former Green Beret. Adam transformed the parking lot of a Harley-Davidson dealership into a makeshift airbase to help distribute supplies,” Trump said. “Did an incredible job. Adam, what an amazing act of citizenship and service.”
Smith organized the relief center with the help of hundreds of volunteers, including many other special ops veterans. An adjacent field was converted into a helipad for flying supplies and even farm feed to remote mountain areas cut off from civilization by devastating rains and mudslides in late September.
The relief center drew a visit from an impressed Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. The next day, the 101st Airborne Division sent 100 troops to help the center’s operations.
Smith thanked Trump, saying his presence will keep the area “on the map” as it rebuilds. Trump’s decision to delay his visit gave rescue crews “space to operate and function and gave us space to provide relief where it needed to go,” Smith said.
Adam Smith of Savage Freedoms Relief Operations addresses volunteers at a makeshift supply depot at the Harley-Davidson dealership in Swannanoa, North Carolina, Oct. 15, 2024.
Photo by Steve Baker/Blaze News
“The biggest fear that Western North Carolina is sitting on right now, at least from the communities we’ve talked to, is being forgotten,” Smith told the 45th president. “And to have you here and have an opportunity to have this conversation at a national level will keep Western North Carolina on the map and not leave the communities holding the bag on the back end of this.”
Trump was sharply critical of the Hurricane Helene response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the agency’s use of hundreds of millions of dollars for settling of illegal aliens across the country.
“Their rescue effort was almost nonexistent,” Trump said.
Trump said he was in favor of calling Congress into special session to approve more federal aid to the states impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, but he said FEMA should have more money on hand than it does.
“So they don’t have any money for the people that live here that got hit by one of the worst storms, possibly the worst storm ever, but one of the worst storms in the history of our country,” Trump said. “And it’s a shame because they should have the money. They spent money that I don’t believe they’re supposed to be spending for that, as you know.”
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