Trump makes amends with Georgia Gov. Kemp, discusses election and immigration at Helene recovery event
This story was updated at 6:50 p.m.
Former President Donald Trump and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp appeared together for the first time in years as they delivered remarks Friday on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Evans, Georgia.
Though Trump said he was “not thinking about voters right now,” he made an appeal to Georgians and touched on a few campaign topics, such as immigration.
“We have a big election coming up, and … I told the governor, if I’m involved, they’re going to get the best treatment,” he said during his remarks, adding that he and Kemp have worked together on storm relief in the past.
“We will be very open and very committed to this state because it’s a great state, and you have great leadership, and the governor, again, is doing a fantastic job,” he added.
Evans is a suburb located around 15 miles northwest of Augusta, Georgia, one of the cities hardest hit by the storm in the state.
Trump and Kemp have had a rocky relationship after Kemp rejected pressure from the former president to help subvert the results of the 2020 election. In August 2024, Trump criticized Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for denying that the 2020 election was stolen from him, saying, “They want us to lose.”
Friday marked Trump’s second visit to the state this week. During his Monday visit to Valdosta, he incorrectly said that President Joe Biden was not responding to Kemp. However, the governor confirmed that he and the president spoke about disaster relief in Georgia.
In response to a reporter’s question about their relationship after his remarks Friday, Trump said, “It’s great. We work together. We’ve always worked together very well.”
He also responded to a question about the latest jobs report, which showed that U.S. employers added more than a quarter-million jobs last month, the unemployment rate falling to 4.1%.
Trump said that inflation has “devastated” the economy and that undocumented migrants have taken jobs away from American citizens.
“The illegals have taken more jobs than anybody else. You have illegals coming in, and they’re taking the jobs,” he said. “We have to get the jobs to the people that have lived here for a long time, and they’re great, great citizens of our country.”
“A lot of the money that was supposed to go to Georgia and supposed to go to North Carolina and all of the others is going and has gone already, it’s been gone, for people who came into the country illegally,” the Republican presidential nominee added.
In an interview at the Augusta Regional Airport, Trump repeated a false claim that $1 billion in FEMA money was given to undocumented immigrants. On a page specifically dedicated to responding to rumors surrounding Hurricane Helene, FEMA stated that no disaster response funds were diverted to deal with border issues.
“No money is being diverted from disaster response needs,” it stated. “FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.”
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He also criticized the White House’s response to Helene, calling it “terrible.” He did, however, praise Elon Musk’s “quick action with Starlink,” which FEMA has deployed to allow people to connect to the internet.
During the Friday press event, Kemp reiterated Georgia’s measures to help residents recover from the storm.
At least 33 people have died throughout the state due to Helene’s effects. Kemp declared a state of emergency before the storm, and recently, President Biden has approved the governor’s request for a major disaster declaration for 41 counties, meaning residents of those counties can apply for FEMA disaster relief.
As of this publication, around 2,000 Georgia guardsmen have bee deployed to respond to emergencies.
To help residents deal with financial losses caused by Helene, Kemp has placed a suspension on the state’s motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes.
The Athens native recounted the various people and children who died from fallen trees and other effects of the storm. He also talked about the numerous visits that he and his wife, First Lady Marty Kemp made to neighborhoods across Georgia.
“In spite of such tragedy and heartbreak, in spite of the pain we’ve seen, there are many stories of hope and resilience,” he said.
According to Kemp, around 35% of Georgia’s cotton and 10-30% of peanut crops have been destroyed. Fourteen dairy farms are without power, and more than 222 poultry houses have also been destroyed.
The storm has affected around 4 million acres of timberland, with 48,000 acres of pecans also seeing damage or destruction.
“I want everyone in this state to know that we are with you during these difficult times, and we aren’t going anywhere,” Kemp said. “We are putting every possible state resource we have at response and recovery.”
He said he will continue pushing the federal government for more counties to be added to the major disaster declaration list.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have also made visits this week to Georgia. Harris announced federal reimbursements for local recovery costs in Augusta, Georgia, on Wednesday, and Biden traveled to Ray City on Thursday to offer support for Georgia farmers and producers.
WABE’s Rahul Bali contributed reporting to this story.
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