Newsmax Host Dukes It Out With Mark Halperin Over Whether Harris Should Visit Areas Damaged By Hurricane

Newsmax host Rob Finnerty and political analyst Mark Halperin clashed on Tuesday about whether Vice President Kamala Harris should visit areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

Harris has not yet toured any of the damaged regions in  Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina or Tennessee, but intends to visit “as soon as possible without disrupting emergency response operations,” according to a White House official, NBC News reported. Halperin argued on “Wake Up America” that a visit isn’t necessary yet due to the risk of disruption, while Finnerty pushed back, saying he doesn’t find that excuse valid for not making the trip.

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“In my experience, Rob, cable news anchors care more about the timing of presidential and vice presidential visits to disaster zones than the people on the ground who just want water and cell service and roads open,” Halperin said. “So she’ll go, but you can create the appearance that people in North Carolina and Georgia are clamoring to see a photo op, but I don’t think they are from the conversations I’ve had with Republicans and Democrats. They want federal aid. They want state aid. They want local aid. They don’t care about a photo op.”

Finnerty later noted that former President Barack Obama