Traditionally, when disasters such as Milton strike, politics are left for later. But that was not the case with Hurricane Helene, which flooded much of the Southeast, killed more than 220 people and left hundreds of thousands without power.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump immediately tried to turn the disaster to his advantage, first hauling in supplies as a form of a shadow government entity and then publicly questioning the efficacy of the Biden administration's response.
Then Trump and his allies took it a step further, suggesting without evidence that the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacked the resources to help disaster victims because it was diverting funds to shelter migrants in the country illegally.
That story, which was quickly debunked by federal officials, had legs. It was part of a torrent of disinformation that surrounded the storm, with some lawmakers such as U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene even claiming the government can control the weather.
Trump's Democratic opponent in the Nov. 5 election, Vice President Kamala Harris, called his conduct "extraordinarily irresponsible."
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the false rumors were undermining trust in government and discouraging some victims from applying for assistance.
Some of Trump's fellow Republicans pushed back, too. U.S. Representative Chuck Edwards, whose district lies within flooded western North Carolina, on Wednesday denounced "outrageous rumors" spread by "untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos."
Trump's insinuations are part of a pattern that is accelerating as the election approaches. He has argued that the federal government can't keep Americans safe due to the influx of migrants into the county. And he has increasingly claimed, without evidence, that the election results may not be reliable because noncitizens are voting, which would be illegal.
The Trump campaign maintains that border security and crime are top issues for voters and that his policies are a reason why he is in a position to win the election. Critics say Trump is scapegoating migrants for all economic and public safety worries the country faces.
With now a second disaster slamming the Southeast in a matter of weeks, voters will watch Trump's response, as well as how the Biden-Harris administration responds to one of the most challenging tests of its tenure.
Concerns about voter turnout have intensified, particularly in the mountains of North Carolina, a battleground state. The area hit hardest by Helene is deeply Republican, and the Trump campaign is pushing to make sure those residents are still able to vote.
North Carolina lawmakers this week passed a disaster relief package aimed at helping voters in affected counties cast a ballot next month, while voting rights groups in Florida asked a federal judge to extend the state's voter registration deadline due to the disruptions from Helene and Milton.
Some political analysts expressed concern that the Trump campaign could use the fallout from Helene as an excuse to challenge the results should he ultimately lose.
"If Trump loses, this will be one of the things he uses to cast blame, that North Carolina Democrats stole it from him," Doug Heye, a Republican strategist from North Carolina, told us.
Expect Harris and Trump to survey the storm damage in Florida in the coming days, trying to navigate that fragile line between being perceived as expressing sympathy and exploiting tragedy, all the while hoping voters see them as the one to count on when the worst happens.
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