Trump, joined by Kemp, is briefed on Helene in Evans, Georgia
- Trump got briefing on Helene damage in Evans, Georgia
- He was joined by Gov. Kemp, with whom he's had a tense relationship
- Former president and Republican nominee visited Valdosta on Monday
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after speaking at a temporary relief shelter as he visits areas impacted by Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Evans, Ga. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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(NewsNation) — Former president and 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump was in Evans, Georgia Friday to get a briefing on Hurricane Helene, where he appeared together with Gov. Brian Kemp for the first time in years.
“We want to thank the people who are working so hard,” Trump told reporters after the briefing. “We’re here in Evans, Georgia to show our support, love, and prayers.”
The relationship between Kemp and Trump has sometimes been tense. Trump still falsely says that he won Georgia in the 2020 election, and Kemp refused to stop the certification of Trump’s loss four years ago. However, NewsNation partner The Hill reports the two politicians have sought to put a “long-simmering feud” on the back burner during campaign season.
On Friday, Trump complimented Kemp, saying that the Georgia governor is “doing a fantastic job.”
“We will be back, and whenever the governor needs us, we will be here,” Trump said.
Kemp, before Trump spoke, thanked the former president for “keeping the national focus on our state as we recover.”
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend last week, wreaking havoc in six states. Its effect are still being felt a week later, with at least 215 people dead and many unaccounted for. A lack of phone service and electricity has hindered search efforts for the missing. Roughly half the victims of the storm were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in South Carolina and Georgia, according to the Associated Press.
Trump also visited Georgia earlier this week, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president.
“Our hearts are with you and we are going to be with you as long as you need it,” Trump said in Valdosta Monday.
During his trip to Valdosta, Trump repeatedly lied about the federal response to Hurricane Helene, claiming President Joe Biden hadn’t responded to Kemp. The White House, however, previously said Biden spoke by phone to the Georgia governor, and Kemp himself confirmed Monday morning that he’d spoken to the president on Sunday night.
Harris, meanwhile, went to Augusta Wednesday, where according to the Associated Press she handed out meals, embraced a shaken family and surveyed Hurricane Helene’s path of destruction.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
