Hurricane Helene caused widespread devastation across several southeastern states, including Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.
The storm’s remnants particularly ravaged western North Carolina late Thursday into Friday, with catastrophic flooding washing out roads, highways, and leaving many areas completely inaccessible.
State officials have urged people to avoid traveling to the region unless they are part of rescue or relief operations.
In the North Carolina mountains, the damage has been described as “apocalyptic.” At least 30 people have been confirmed dead, and some areas recorded up to 30 inches of rain. Streets were transformed into rivers, with homes and vehicles being swept away by floodwaters. Amid this disaster, criticism has mounted over the apparent absence of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from the scene.
Biden, who was vacationing at Rehoboth Beach over the weekend, faced backlash for being away during such a critical time. Meanwhile, Harris was attending campaign fundraisers on the West Coast.
While Biden had already taken the necessary steps to approve federal assistance, critics pointed to the optics of him relaxing at the beach and Harris mingling with donors while parts of the country faced Katrina-like destruction.
In what appeared to be an effort to respond to the criticism, Harris posted a photo on Twitter late Sunday night showing herself at work. In the image, she is holding a pen, with a phone in front of her and earbuds in, signaling that she was being briefed on the storm’s aftermath.
“I was just briefed by @FEMA_Deanne Criswell on the latest developments about the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene. We also discussed our Administration’s continued actions to support emergency response and recovery. I also spoke with @NC_Governor Cooper about the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in North Carolina. Our Administration will continue to stay in constant contact with state and local officials to ensure communities have the support and resources they need. Doug and my thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones and those whose homes, businesses, and communities were damaged or destroyed during this disaster,” Harris tweeted.
Notably, the vice-presidential seal on her desk had the word “vice” conspicuously covered, an unusual detail that caught some viewers’ attention.
But a closer look at the image sparked another round of criticism: it appeared that Harris’ earbuds were not plugged into her phone, leading to speculation about the authenticity of the photo-op.
In the face of growing criticism, both Biden and Harris have maintained their stance that their administration is doing everything it can to support recovery efforts.
Still, for many affected by the hurricane, the image of the vice president holding a disconnected phone during such a dire situation only amplified concerns about the administration’s sensitivity to the crisis at hand.
I was just briefed by @FEMA_Deanne Criswell on the latest developments about the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene. We also discussed our Administration's continued actions to support emergency response and recovery.
I also spoke with @NC_Governor Cooper about the ongoing… pic.twitter.com/nlZPB0h3mO— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 30, 2024
Why aren’t your headphones plugged into your phone? https://t.co/lkPykBzwdD pic.twitter.com/EHrXJuPE6E
— Still Boneless (@still_boneless) September 30, 2024
Also, don’t you think your advisors would tell you to make sure your earbud is plugged into your actual phone, since you don’t seem to be able to think of it when you’re staging your shots? https://t.co/VqFcWjaBVu pic.twitter.com/lRtMyRvsqI
— Carnival Barker Renee🤷♀️💅🏻 (@eeners) September 30, 2024
She’s got corded earphones that aren’t even plugged in 😭😭😭
— Patrick Webb (@RealPatrickWebb) September 30, 2024
Others thought that maybe even the piece of paper she was “writing” on might have been blank, but it’s hard to tell:
Invisible Ink.
Smart. https://t.co/xYKraiVxRq pic.twitter.com/DPymuUVmIE— Cat Without A Hat (@least4masks) September 30, 2024
There are a couple of things that I find super-annoying about the photo. First, if she indeed really wasn’t on the phone (and FWIW she’s been known to play games with her earbuds before), it’s just more fakery on top of fakery from a candidate and team who try reinventing her as a “great leader” just about every single day.
The other thing and more importantly is that not one person in this country who is heartbroken and praying for western North Carolina families should be impressed with the photo and caption considering it was posted two days after the region got hammered by Helene and after Harris had other priorities that didn’t include expressing anything beyond the bare minimum concern for the hundreds of thousands who have been negatively impacted in my state.
Headset not plugged into the phone really says it all here. https://t.co/C1bEsJ0In6 pic.twitter.com/nqTWxUYs91
— sentient 6 (@sentientsixp) September 30, 2024
Whether the headphones are plugged in or not, that staged photo and caption do say a lot about Kamala Harris, with none of it being good.
1 Comment
Weather modification is what has caused this catastrophe as we see those contrails covering the sky just like they did in VIET NAM. This government is the one that is causing climate change as they try to control and modify the weather. SO it is our government that is the one responsible for this devastating weather patterns. Call me a liar but I saw what was happening in VIET NAM heavy rains, fierce monsoons that hampered our military’s movement throughout the country bogging down equipment and never being completely dry causing foot fungus and mold growing on our combat BDU’s .