"U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will travel on Wednesday to North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia to assess the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene in the southeastern U.S. which has killed at least 140 people.
While Biden visits North and South Carolina, Harris will travel Wednesday to Georgia and to North Carolina in the coming days. The trips come as former president Donald Trump, who is running against Harris in this year's presidential election, falsely claimed that Biden, a Democrat, has been unresponsive to the hurricane's destruction.
Biden will participate in an aerial tour of Greenville, South Carolina, before receiving an operational briefing in Raleigh, North Carolina, as rescuers scour the state's mountains for survivors. He will travel to Georgia and Florida soon, he previously said.
North Carolina and Georgia are among seven key battleground states in this year's election, which is expected to be won by thin margins. Harris currently leads Trump by 2.6 percentage points in national polls, according to aggregator FiveThirtyEight."
Stephanie Kelly reports for Reuters October 2, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
"Restoring Power To Rural Areas After Hurricane Helene To Take Weeks, Utilities Say" (Reuters)
"Helene Knocks Top U.S. Climate Data Center Offline" (Axios)
"North Carolina Mounts Massive Search And Rescue Operation In Wake Of Helene" (Reuters)