Following a tour of flood-ravaged Swannanoa on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump offered his sympathy to storm victims and promised local Republican officials his full support in rebuilding the region if he returns to the White House.

“I’m here today in western North Carolina to express a simple message to the incredible people of the state,” the former president said. “I’m with you .. and we’re going to continue to be with you. We’ll see what happens after the election.

“We are praying for you and we will not forget about you,” Trump said. 

But he also took numerous opportunities to continue to slam recovery efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), which is overseeing the federal response, saying, “It’s been not good, not good.”  

He leveled numerous insults at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, who he said has mishandled the recovery response.

And he repeated several false claims that FEMA is running out of money because funds were being diverted to help “illegal migrants” enter the country with the possible intention of illegally voting for Democrats in the election. 

“It’s all gone,” Trump said. “They [FEMA] spent it on illegal migrants. Many of them are murderers. Many of them are drug dealers. Many of them come out of mental institutions and insane asylums, and many of them are terrorists.

“And they spent money to bring these people into our country and they don’t have money to take care of the people of North Carolina and the other states.”

A debunked claim

The claim has been thoroughly debunked since Trump first raised the allegation in the days after Helene. Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards, who represents the region’s 11th District, has rebutted this and other allegations in media interviews and in a sharply worded news release 10 days after the storm.

“FEMA has NOT diverted disaster response funding to the border or to foreign aid,” the conservative lawmaker wrote, calling such claims hoaxes. “FEMA is not going to run out of money.” 

Edwards was among the local GOP leaders who stood beside the former president Monday as he repeated the false charge.

The congressman had also debunked several other of Trump’s continuing attacks on the federal response while saying he has been in frequent conversation with White House officials. Among the attacks Edwards has debunked include Trump’s claim that the Biden administration was denying assistance to victims in Republican areas, and another that FEMA had bulldozed the devastated tourist town of Chimney Rock to make way for a lithium mine. 

“Chimney Rock is NOT being bulldozed over,” Edwards wrote, emphasizing the word “not.” 

Earlier this month, a Trump supporter named William Jacob Parsons, while armed with a pistol, ordered a pair of FEMA workers to cease their operations. The agency ordered a halt to its relief effort until it could organize security for its workers to protect them against similar threats. 

After Parsons was arrested Oct, 12, he said the threats were needed to prevent the FEMA workers from taking the actions Trump falsely claimed they were engaged in. 

At a news conference following Trump’s prepared remarks, a reporter told the former president about Parson’s arrest and asked: “Is it helping the recovery effort in North Carolina to keep making these claims that FEMA isn’t doing their job well?”

Trump sidestepped the question while seeming to defend his attacks.

“I think you have to let people know how they’re doing,” he replied, apparently referring to his false statements. “. … But, you know, [there are] very bad statements coming out about the job that FEMA and this administration has done.”   

Before Trump’s remarks, Edwards – owner of several McDonald’s franchises in the region – jokingly presented Trump with a “french-frier certification” for a recent campaign photo opportunity in which Trump prepared a basket of fries at a McDonald’s. The move was intended to mock Harris for citing her employment while a college student as a McDonald’s fry cook.

The former president’s visit Monday was located in a flood-devastated parking lot on US Highway 70 in the unincorporated town of Swannanoa, which sprawls midway between Asheville’s eastern edge and the town of Black Mountain. Most of the buildings and structures along the highway had been swept away or severely damaged by the Swannanoa River’s floods or mudslides.  

The managers of two of the damaged businesses were invited to introduce Trump: Brian Burpeau, manager of Diamond Back 4×4, an auto repair shop, and Mike Stewart, sales manager of  Pine View Buildings, which sells portable sheds. 

Business managers express support for Trump

Both made known their strong support for Trump’s election. Burpeau spoke first, praising Trump for the visit, saying “We need to know that we’ll be OK and we won’t be forgotten.”  

Stewart also thanked Trump and said he believed of the former president that, “God has given you indomitable spirit.”

He asked Trump for permission to say a prayer for him. Trump agreed.  “I pray that you will anoint him,” Stewart said, as Trump bowed his head. “Give him the wisdom, understanding and insight as he prepares to lead this nation.”

The former president replied: “Wow… No speechwriter could do that so well.” 

The usually busy highway was cordoned off for nearly a mile on both ends, halting traffic for nearly two hours and keeping potential protesters far away. The location for the visit was a closely held secret, including from many in local media, including Asheville Watchdog. This report was based on live coverage by WLOS (Channel 13), whose reporter was allowed on the site.

A small gathering of bystanders gathered at the intersection of the highway and the interchange to Interstate 40 along which Trump’s motorcade came and departed. The former president left his limousine only to walk the few steps to the makeshift podium where he spoke and met with the local business leaders and political officials.  

Edwards, however, told Trump that by “getting dust on your shoes,” he had done more to view the devastation than the president or vice president.

Trump used the visit to pitch for votes, urging supporters to take advantage of early voting. The former president said that while most respected polls show him in a near tie with Harris, he cited what he called “a gambling” poll that had him winning by a 63 to 33 percent margin.  “I don’t know whether to believe that or not; we probably shouldn’t.” 

He also incorrectly claimed to be leading Harris in North Carolina in early voting, which began Oct. 17, although no votes will be counted until after the state’s polls close Nov. 5.  

The state’s Board of Elections has reported on its website that the greatest number of ballots cast so far have been by registered Democrats.

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Tom Fiedler is a Pulitzer Prize-winning political reporter and dean emeritus from Boston University who lives in Asheville. Email him at tfiedler@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.

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