As the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastate communities, the Biden-Harris administration’s response — or lack of one — has been a national disgrace.
Families are left to fend for themselves while Vice President Kamala Harris, supposed to be a key leader, parades across the country, appearing on shows like The View and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert instead of addressing the immediate needs of Americans in crisis.
While millions grapple with destroyed homes and flooded neighborhoods, Harris seems more interested in chatting it up on TV and campaigning in the lead-up to the November elections. This is not the leadership Americans signed up for.
As Americans in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee braced for the impact of Hurricane Helene, Harris and President Joe Biden were noticeably absent. Instead of preparing to help save lives, Biden rested on a beach while Harris attended an elitist fundraiser in San Francisco. When our people needed our leaders most, they were nowhere to be found.
In stark contrast, President Donald Trump didn’t hesitate to visit affected areas, provide financial support and demonstrate true leadership. This is what a president who cares about the American people looks like. Other conservative leaders teamed up with Goya Foods, their Goya Cares initiative and other entities to help victims in Georgia.
The effect on the Hispanic community has been even more severe. Many communities hit hard by these hurricanes are home to hardworking Hispanic Americans who contribute greatly to our nation. From small business owners to essential workers, they are trying to recover from catastrophic hurricanes while facing an administration that fails them at every level. The Biden-Harris team seems more focused on media appearances and fundraising than real solutions.
My sister-in-law, her family and others in Asheville, North Carolina, have faced unimaginable hardships trying to rebuild their lives after Hurricane Helene. Yet, the administration’s response remains nonexistent, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.
To make matters worse, FEMA funds — about $650 million — were used to support illegal aliens instead of actual victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene. This misallocation of resources is an insult to American citizens who desperately need help rebuilding their lives.
This negligence is not an isolated incident. It exemplifies how the Biden-Harris administration prioritizes political optics over effective governance. As vice president, Harris could mobilize resources and visit affected areas to offer real solutions. Instead, her focus has been on flashy events and rehearsed interviews that fail to address pressing issues.
In North Carolina, victims caught in Hurricane Helene could have used priority attention from their government, even now as the death toll rises and many others are barely surviving. Harris instead found time to go on the crude Call Her Daddy podcast.
For those affected by the hurricanes, the administration’s inaction is a gut punch. Hispanic families are disproportionately affected by natural disasters, often living in areas vulnerable to flooding and damage. But like the tragedies of East Palestine, Ohio, and Maui, Hawaii, this administration, yet again, has failed its citizens.
It is time to demand accountability. Victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton deserve leadership that takes action, not empty promises from politicians more focused on public relations campaigns than on the devastation facing millions of Americans. The Hispanic community, like so many others, is resilient, but resilience alone won’t rebuild homes or restore power. That requires resources and real leadership — neither of which Harris has demonstrated during this crisis.
The American people deserve better. They deserve a government that puts its citizens first. Instead of touring talk shows and laughing about irrelevant issues, Harris should be on the ground, meeting with victims and leading from the front. Her failure to act is a betrayal of the very people she was elected to serve.
We can no longer afford leadership that views Americans’ suffering as secondary to their political aspirations. Hurricane Helene victims, especially in the Hispanic community, are watching — and they won’t forget this betrayal anytime soon. The Biden-Harris administration can no longer hide behind the cameras; the time for real leadership has passed.
In the wake of these hurricanes, it is not just homes that need to be rebuilt — it is trust in our government’s ability to protect its citizens. Vice President Kamala Harris has shown she is more interested in political theater than the welfare of those struggling to survive. How many more Americans must suffer before she takes her job seriously?
Let this be a wake-up call to all Americans: leadership matters. When disaster strikes, we need leaders who show up, not those who tune out.
Incompetence and indifference have no place in the White House.
Jorge Martinez serves as Hispanic outreach strategist and Spanish spokesperson for America First Works. He previously served as press secretary for the U.S. Department of Justice.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
