Harris leads, Trump deals Hurricanes stir up election campaign in the USA

In the final sprint to the presidential election, the government's disaster management after the storms "Helene" and "Milton" has come into focus. False statements also play a role.

Hurricanes "Helene" and "Milton" have not only shaken up the schedule in political Washington, they have also become an anchor point for the election campaign. The two hurricanes are followed by the question: who is the better choice for the White House in the event of a disaster?

Democrat Kamala Harris is trying to prove her leadership by participating in briefings and briefings as Vice President alongside President Joe Biden and calling for bipartisan cooperation.

For his part, Republican and former President Donald Trump is trying to score points by questioning the competence of the current government and accusing it of discriminating against Republican-governed regions.

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Parties must cooperate

The fact that the cooperation of both major parties in the House of Representatives is required to increase the funding of the disaster control authority Fema is also creating pressure. This will draw further attention to the issue.

In the midst of the crises, Fema is coming more into focus, explains Timothy Kneeland from Nazareth University in Rochester, New York. "And as a result, the Biden administration is also being scrutinized more closely in the days leading up to the election," says the Fema expert.

For Harris, this means a balancing act during the election campaign: "Vice President Harris must express her sympathy without changing the campaign schedule and continuously report on the widespread devastation."

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Biden: Trump is spreading lies

Both Harris and Trump have traveled to Georgia to see the damage caused by Hurricane Helene - and to pledge their support. Harris also visited North Carolina. For both presidential candidates, this meant a change in their schedules: campaign events elsewhere were canceled.

Georgia and North Carolina are contested states in the election on November 5 and are therefore also strategically important in the run-up to the vote.

Harris clearly defended herself against Trump's accusations, allegations and hostility: "I must emphasize that this is not the time to play political games," she said. President Biden criticized Trump for spreading untruths that were un-American.

Dozens deadVideo shows the devastating extent of Hurricane Helene

Trump lashes out

Meanwhile, he continued to lash out. In a speech to the Detroit Economic Club, Trump praised the governors of his party in the US states affected by "Helene", while accusing the federal government of "letting these people suffer unjustly".

The false information and accusations from the Trump environment also include, for example, the claim that victims of "Helene" could only receive 750 dollars in aid. It was also spread that funds for emergency aid to migrants had been diverted - another false statement.

"This hurricane was bad, Kamala Harris let them down," Trump said in Wisconsin, among other places. "This is the worst response to a storm or a disaster or a hurricane that we've ever seen."

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"Good test of leadership qualities"

When asked what strategic considerations the Trump team was pursuing by emphasizing the issue, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt did not directly address the question. Instead, she explained that it reflected a pattern of "failed leadership" by the Biden-Harris administration, which was also evident in the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and the securing of the US southern border.

John Gasper from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh sees the handling of natural disasters as a "good test of leadership qualities" at local, regional and national level. However, he doubts whether the issue will actually be decisive on election day. "It will play a role at the margins," says the scientist. "Will it determine the election? Probably not. There's so much else out there."

dpa