Feeble old compulsive liar and convicted Felon Trump, seeking to
capitalize politically on the devastation from Hurricane Helene, falsely
claimed in a social media post on Thursday that President Joe Biden and
Vice President Kamala Harris �are universally being given POOR GRADES for
the way that they are handling the Hurricane, especially in North
Carolina.�

Facts First: Trump is wrong. The Biden administration�s response to the
hurricane has received bipartisan praise from political leaders in affected
states.

That praise has not been universal; there has also been some criticism and
some ambivalence. But Trump�s assertion that reviews for the Biden
administration�s handling of the crisis have been entirely negative is not
true.

And this is just the latest Trump false claim on the subject of the
administration�s hurricane response.

On Monday, Trump incorrectly said that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp hadn�t been
able to get Biden on the phone, though Kemp had said the same day that he
had already spoken to Biden. And Trump baselessly claimed Monday that the
federal government and the Democratic governor of North Carolina, Roy
Cooper, were deliberately not helping residents of Republican communities
in the state; Trump provided no evidence for the claim when a reporter
pressed him about it.
Praise from Republican governors

Various Republican governors in the southeastern states hit by Hurricane
Helene have praised the Biden administration�s response, sometimes naming
Biden in particular.

Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said at a Tuesday press
conference that federal assistance had �been superb,� noting that Biden and
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had both called and told him to let
them know whatever the state needed. McMaster added that the administrator
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, had also
called. He said, �So we�re getting assistance, and we�re asking for
everything we need.�

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said at a Monday press conference,
�I�m incredibly appreciative of the rapid response and the cooperation from
the federal team at FEMA.� He specifically thanked Biden, among others, in
a press release the day prior.

Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said at a Wednesday press conference
that the response to his emergency declaration �was quick from the federal
government,� adding there was �a fast turnaround, frankly,� in making the
state eligible for some federal reimbursements.

At a Tuesday press conference, Lee spoke of a �rush� of officials �from the
federal to the state to the local, the local emergency management agencies,
local county mayors with tears in their eyes out there serving their
people. There is a great deal of hope when you see what is behind the
effort, the coordinated effort, in this community to begin to rebuild.�
Praise in North Carolina

Cooper, the North Carolina governor, has repeatedly praised the federal
response. Sitting beside Biden during the president�s visit to North
Carolina on Wednesday, Cooper said, �We�re grateful for the quick actions
and close communications that we have had with the president and with the
FEMA team,� adding moments later, �And Mr. President, we know that we have
made a lot of asks of you, and we are grateful for your ear and for your
actions.�

Cooper said in a briefing on Tuesday: �I briefed President Biden and Vice
President Harris each on two occasions, and they have committed every
resource available to this recovery. I appreciate the president�s quick
approval of our major disaster declaration this weekend and his direction
that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will continue to be here on the
ground,� saying that residents were already starting to receive assistance
funds.

The Democratic mayor of the hard-hit North Carolina city of Asheville,
Esther Manheimer, said on MSNBC on Tuesday: �We are seeing incredible help,
from the federal government to the state to the private sector to the
nonprofit sector, faith-based organizations, everyone pouring in here with
their help.� She emphasized that rebuilding from the �catastrophic�
situation would take a long time regardless.