Biden Discusses Hurricane Response

By
Jennifer Gray
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President Biden held a press conference on Monday to discuss the federal response to Hurricane Helene and, unsurprisingly, managed to stir up more questions than answers. He vowed to visit the areas hit hardest by the storm—just not yet. Apparently, the president, who spent his weekend relaxing at his beach house in Delaware, has been told that now is not the best time for him to show up and “disrupt” things. How considerate.

The press conference itself had all the usual Biden highlights, including the frequent coughing fits that interrupted his remarks. But the real show started when a reporter dared to question his whereabouts during the weekend, asking why he and Vice President Kamala Harris weren’t in Washington overseeing the response to the disaster. Biden, clearly not in the mood for tough questions, snapped back from the doorway, claiming, “I was commanding it. I was on the phone for at least two hours yesterday and the day before as well. I command it. It’s called a telephone and all my security people.”

Ah yes, “commanding” via telephone from the comfort of a beachfront home—because nothing says leadership like dialing in your disaster response while sipping lemonade in Delaware. The reporter tried to ask if it wasn’t important for the American people to see their president in action during a crisis, but Biden had already made his dramatic exit, leaving the question hanging in the air as the door shut behind him.

To give credit where it’s due, Biden did outline the federal efforts that have been put into motion. He assured us that he and his team have been “in constant contact” with governors, mayors, and local officials about the storm. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is on the ground in North Carolina, coordinating relief efforts, and Biden acknowledged the grim reality: over 100 dead, 600 people unaccounted for, and thousands without power or basic supplies. He made sure to offer his usual thoughts and prayers as if that alone could clear debris and rebuild homes.

Although many see this as a slap in the face. Especially when he said he’s given them all that they have. Where’s the billions that are going to Ukraine?

The president also mentioned that he plans to visit the impacted areas—just not yet. He’s been told his presence would be disruptive at the moment. Instead, he’ll head down later this week, after the bulk of the heavy lifting is done, of course. His reasoning? He doesn’t want to divert any resources from the response efforts, but let’s be real—how much of a distraction could one visit really cause? Somehow, other presidents managed to show up during crises without bringing relief efforts to a screeching halt.

However, Trump is already there and delivering much-needed supplies to the people.

Biden did rattle off a laundry list of agencies involved, from the FCC to the National Guard to the Army Corps of Engineers, all of whom are apparently hard at work providing resources and rescuing those in need. Over 3,600 personnel have been deployed, and Biden has approved emergency declarations for multiple states, including Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. It’s clear that the gears of government are in motion—what’s less clear is how much Biden is actually steering the ship.

The president closed by urging people in affected areas to take the warnings seriously, promising that the Biden-Harris administration “has your back” and will stick around “until the job is done.” That’s nice to hear, but maybe what the country really needs is for the president to stay in the White House when disaster strikes rather than phoning it in from the beach.

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