Kamala Harris addressed misinformation spread by Donald Trump regarding the government’s hurricane response during a speech to a predominantly Black church audience in battleground North Carolina on Sunday.
The Democratic vice presidential candidate subtly criticized Trump without mentioning him by name, though it was clear he was the target, as he has been prominent in promoting false claims about the Biden administration’s response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Speaking at the Koinonia Christian Center, Harris praised the “heroes” helping residents, regardless of political affiliation, and condemned those spreading lies.
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“Yet, church, there are some who are not acting in the spirit of community,” Harris said. “I’m talking about those who are literally not telling the truth, lying about the people working hard to help those in need, spreading disinformation when truth and facts are needed.”
She warned that this misinformation is undermining trust in the government’s ability to provide life-saving information. “The pain of it all,” she said, “is that people in need are being led to believe the forces are working against them, discouraging them from seeking aid.”
Harris condemned those who are “trying to gain some advantage for themselves, to play politics with other people’s heartbreak,” calling it “unconscionable.” She added, “Now is not the time to incite fear or make people feel alone.”
“That is not what leaders do in a crisis,” she said.
Her remarks followed Trump’s series of false claims about the hurricane response after Helene struck in late September. He falsely alleged that Washington was withholding aid from Republicans in need across the Southeast and claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had run out of money to help because funds had been diverted to support undocumented immigrants. Trump repeated these claims on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, calling the White House response “terrible.”
Meanwhile, President Biden was in Florida surveying hurricane damage, including the torn-up roof of Tropicana Field and waterlogged homes. He expressed gratitude that Milton wasn’t as destructive as anticipated but acknowledged the devastation many people faced. “It’s in moments like this we come together as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans,” Biden said, praising first responders.
Harris began her second day in North Carolina with her speech at the Greenville church as part of her campaign’s “Souls to the Polls” effort to mobilize Black voters ahead of the Nov. 5 election, according to The Associated Press. Later, she spoke to about 7,000 supporters at a rally at East Carolina University, suggesting that Trump’s team might be preventing him from releasing medical records or debating her again out of fear that he’s “too weak and unstable.”
Her North Carolina appearances mark the beginning of a week focused on energizing Black voters, a key demographic for the Democratic Party. Harris is counting on strong Black voter turnout in competitive states like North Carolina to defeat Trump, who has worked to energize men of all races and has particularly targeted Black men.
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