Vice President JD Vance vowed that the Trump administration would “not forget” the people of Appalachian Virginia who were affected by Hurricane Helene, adding that the administration loved them and was “rooting” for them.
During a visit to Damascus, Virginia, on Monday with Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) to survey the damage left by Hurricane Helene and speak with the victims, Vance criticized the “bureaucratic inadequacy” of the Biden-Harris administration, its response to Hurricane Helene, and the “red tape” of the federal government.
WATCH — Making the Rounds! Vance Appears in SW Virginia Town to Discuss Hurricane Helene Relief:
Vance also admitted that while the Trump administration was “not going to be perfect,” he believed they “can do a heck of a lot better” than the past few years. The visit to Damascus represented Vance’s first domestic trip since taking office.
“I think one of the takeaways of just my time, the last week, being the people’s vice president is, they should have higher expectations for their federal government,” Vance said. “I talked to so many people who will say, in effect, ‘Well, it’s the federal government, oh the bureaucracy, oh the red tape.’ No, no, no, no, no. The bureaucracy and the red tape is not an excuse for the government to not do it’s job. We’re not going to be perfect, we never will be. Government is as fallible as the people who run it, but we can do a heck of a lot better than we have over the last few years and that is something that President Trump and I are committed to doing.”
“And, let me just leave you with one final thought,” Vance added. “I know that a lot of the people watching on the local news — look, this is a part of our country, Appalachian Virginia, that has been ignored and left behind for decades, for generations in this country. Again, we’re never going to be perfect, but I promise you that this administration will not forget you, we love you, we’re rooting for you, and we want to be part of this incredible recovery here in southwestern Virginia.”
During his visit to Damascus, Vance also spoke about how, while the people in local communities who were affected by Hurricane Helene “have done an incredible job of rebuilding,” the people “have not had a federal government that’s really been on their side.”
“I think, unfortunately, while the people have done an incredible job of rebuilding this community, they have not had a federal government that’s really been on their side,” Vance explained. “I’ve heard so many stories, just in the last hour that I’ve been on the ground, of federal agencies that have not developed and deployed the resources necessary, of federal bureaucrats that have been a barrier as opposed to a facilitator of some of the federal resources, and I think the country has decided collectively that we want to help the regions of our country that were devastated by this flood, so why are the bureaucrats not doing the American people’s will and frankly holding up some of the aid here.”
WATCH — President Trump Calls Out FEMA’s Handling of NC Disaster: “FEMA Was Not on the Ball”:
Vance’s visit to Damascus comes several months after he had initially visited southwestern Virginia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, to survey the damage. During Vance’s visit to Damascus in October, he and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, “met with residents who suffered losses, and with volunteers” who had “been pitching in to help,” according to WDBJ7 News.
Several communities in western North Carolina, southwestern Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and eastern Tennessee faced devastating flooding, landslides in the mountains, and destruction to their homes, businesses, and roads, as a result of Hurricane Helene.
Residents in communities that were affected by Hurricane Helene criticized the Biden administration for its response to Hurricane Helene, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), stating that they had been left to fend for themselves and had seen no signs of FEMA or other government agencies.
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