
It’s like the Biden administration has perfected the art of missing the moment. With Hurricane Helene leaving destruction across the Southeast, you’d think the White House would focus on helping Americans rebuild and recover. Instead, what do we get? A tone-deaf chorus of comments from Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the rest of the administration focused everywhere but the disaster zone.
Let’s start with Joe Biden. At a time when people are struggling to find shelter and electricity, he was front and center talking about… job numbers. Sure, Mr. President, we’re all thrilled that the unemployment rate is looking better. But how about a little acknowledgment of the folks without homes, power, or even basic necessities in the aftermath of a Category 4 hurricane? The sheer obliviousness is staggering as if the devastation down South is just a side note to his economic talking points.
Then we have Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who couldn’t resist the opportunity to be generous—with other countries, that is. In the middle of a disaster on American soil, he proudly announced $157 million in aid for Lebanon, highlighting the humanitarian crisis there. Now, no one’s denying that Lebanon has serious issues, but how about focusing on the American humanitarian crisis first, Mr. Blinken? After all, isn’t that part of your job?
Not to be outdone, Samantha Power chimed in, touting the administration’s efforts to keep the lights on… in Ukraine. Yes, you read that right. While tens of thousands of Americans are still without power thanks to Helene, she was celebrating sending transformers to Ukraine. Now, helping our allies is important, but maybe let’s take care of our own citizens in need before patting ourselves on the back for helping other countries.
And then, there’s Kamala Harris. Just when you think the administration might finally read the room, she jumps in to announce even more aid—again, for Lebanon. Her post went viral for all the wrong reasons, with over 11 million people calling her out. The reactions practically wrote themselves: “Is she trying to lose?” “Read the room, Kamala.” Even actor James Woods dubbed it the “gold standard of stupid,” and Rep. Matt Gaetz wondered if she meant Lebanon, North Carolina. Ouch.
The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there.
To that end, the United States will provide…
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) October 5, 2024
Senator Tom Cotton, ever the blunt voice of reason, raised a pretty fair question: why are we sending millions to a country run by Iranian-backed terrorists when our own people need help? It’s a question that the administration didn’t seem too eager to answer.
The people of Lebanon have indeed suffered badly—at the hands of Iran. So why are we giving $157m to a semi-failed state overrun by Iranian-backed terrorists? Let the ayatollahs fix their own mess. https://t.co/XMhyTSs9Bp
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) October 6, 2024
You care more about Lebanon than North Carolina and Georgia.
I’m tired of America Last policies.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) October 6, 2024
Read the f*cking room. pic.twitter.com/JwOt39cwDk
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 6, 2024
This has to be fake. Even Kamala Harris, the gold standard of stupid, isn’t stupid enough to post this. Certainly not while North Carolinians are pulling the bodies of their neighbors from the wreckage. It’s simply inconceivable. https://t.co/3RWcFtGqmG
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 6, 2024
And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, Harris (or whoever’s running her social media) tried a quick course correction, posting about the crisis here in the U.S. a half-hour later. But by then, the damage was done. Too little, too late, Kamala. People saw where her priorities really were, and it wasn’t with the folks suffering in the Carolinas.
.@POTUS and I are coordinating a whole-of-government effort to help communities recover from Hurricane Helene.
We have authorized the movement of 1,000 active-duty soldiers, deployed more than 6,400 federal personnel, and shipped more than 13.2M meals and 13.4M liters of water.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) October 6, 2024
It’s almost as if they’re trying to prove that their priorities are anywhere but home. Sure, the Biden administration can throw billions around the globe, but when it comes to actually helping Americans recover from a natural disaster, they seem to run out of steam. And they wonder why people are frustrated. Maybe it’s because Americans expect their leaders to be a little more focused on America.