During portions of an interview with CNN Chief National Correspondent John King aired on Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360,” Hot Springs, NC Mayor Abby Norton stated that the federal government has done a better job helping her city with disaster relief under the Trump administration than it did under the Biden administration, but FEMA needs to be reformed but it shouldn’t be eliminated.
King said that, in Hot Springs, “most of downtown is still a mess. Hot Springs Mayor Abby Norton puts the build back at 40%.”
He then played video where Norton said, “What I thought Washington would do would be to immediately come in and either fix everything or supply the funds for us to fix everything. But that’s not how it works.”
King then stated, “Mayor Norton says she voted third party for president, just weeks after the flood.”
He then played a clip where he asked Norton, “Is there a Biden difference or a Trump difference in what you have experienced?”
She responded, “First of all, I’m not a politician. I never have been. But it has been better under the Trump administration than it was under Biden, my opinion.”
King followed up, “Is that because they’re more receptive and responsive, or is it because Biden was president when it was hell or –?”
Norton responded that the federal government is more responsive under Trump and “Things are getting done faster. They are more responsive. We’re getting a lot more help than we did.”
King then stated, “But the Mayor is quick to say things still take too long, like waiting for federal help to rebuild the town offices. Now, troubled when she hears the president talk of big FEMA changes.”
He then played video of Norton stating, “FEMA doesn’t need to be eliminated. It just — the processes need to be easier, more user-friendly. No, I don’t think it needs to be eliminated at all.”
King then asked, “Or shifted to the states or –?” And Norton answered, “No.”
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