Major North Carolina newspaper knocks Trump over Helene response ‘falsehoods’

A leading newspaper in North Carolina is blasting former President Trump over what it calls his “falsehoods” about the government response to Hurricane Helene, which devastated a large swath of the state last week.

“This is not a situation to capitalize on for political gain. But former President Donald Trump has politicized the situation at every turn, spreading falsehoods and conspiracies that fracture the community instead of bringing it together,” the editorial board of The Charlotte Observer wrote this week. “By every indication, state and federal agencies have been working to help people in need. They’ve been airlifting food and other supplies to affected areas.”

The Observer noted Trump’s statements in recent weeks claiming Democratic state and federal officials are “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas,” and saying Vice President Harris “spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants.” 

“There’s no evidence to support any of those ridiculous claims,” the newspaper shot back.

“Let’s be clear: Western North Carolina is not a political football. This is not a campaign opportunity,” the outlet continued. “The most unhelpful thing any politician — or anyone else — can do right now is spread misinformation and tell people that their government isn’t doing anything to help them.”

Public polling shows North Carolina as one of several key battleground states less than a month out from the election, with Harris and Trump virtually tied there.

“Sowing the seeds of political division is always an unnecessary and tiresome endeavor,” the Observer continued. “But doing so in times of great need, when unity is paramount, is particularly shameful.”