Asked why he believed his Republican opponents were not talking accurately about the government’s response, Biden said, I don’t know. I simply don’t know. … I use a phrase more than I did in my whole career, un-American. It’s un-American. It’s not who in the hell we are.

The president talked about the potential damage from Hurricane Milton and encouraged people near its path to seek shelter. Biden said the government had staged 20 million meals and 40 million litres of water in anticipation of the storm and that military units were ready with search and rescue teams to help victims of it.

We’ve got your back, Biden said. “Kamala and I will be there for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild.”

At rallies for November’s presidential election, Trump has sought to energise his voters by criticising how Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, have handled the response to the severe weather.

At a recent rally in Wisconsin, Trump said it was worse than the government’s response in 2005 to Hurricane Katrina, which resulted in 1,392 fatalities. By contrast, Hurricane Helene has resulted in roughly 230 deaths.

This is the worst response to a storm or a catastrophe or a hurricane that we’ve ever seen, ever, Trump said.

First Published: Oct 10 2024 | 7:27 AM IST