Mayor of NC town hit by Hurricane Helene says things ‘getting done faster’ under Trump than Biden

Hot Springs, N.C. Mayor Abby Norton told CNN’s John King Thursday that recovery in her town has been getting done “faster” under President Donald Trump than the Biden administration since Hurricane Helene hit the state in 2024.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through a massive path from Florida to Ohio, affecting states like South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia — leaving more than 200 dead. King, appearing on “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” talked to residents of Hot Springs since the hurricane’s aftermath. King described most of the downtown area as still being “a mess.” King also reported that in the 2024 presidential election Norton voted third party.

“What I thought Washington would do would be to immediately come in and either fix everything or supply the funds for us to fix everything. But that’s not how it works,” Norton said.

In the aftermath of the natural disaster, the Biden administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were heavily criticized for their response, with some questioning the lack of assistance in the affected areas.

In a 2022–2026 strategic plan outline, FEMA listed “equity” among its top goals. Under the Biden administration the agency was also called out for holding employee training on “white supremacy” in August 2023 while more than 1,000 Hawaiians were missing after the destructive Maui wildfires.

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King asked Norton if she saw a difference in aid under the Trump administration versus’ Biden’s.

“First of all, I’m not a politician. I never have been,” Norton said. “But it has been better under the Trump administration than it was under Biden. My opinion.”

King then pressed whether it was due to Trump’s administration being “more receptive and responsive,” adding if it had also been “because Biden was president when it was hell.”

“Yes. Things are getting done faster. They are more responsive. We’re getting a lot more help,” Norton said.

In October 2024, Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast urged former President Joe Biden and his administration to end the more than $300 million foreign aid package to assist people in Hamas-controlled Gaza and instead redirect it to Hurricane Helene victims, according to a letter first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. At the time of the disaster, the Biden administration announced the additional humanitarian aid package for Gaza and the West Bank, despite concerns from residents affected as they struggled to recover.

In January, Trump made his official visit as president to North Carolina, meeting families affected by the hurricane and speaking with them about their struggles since the event. The visit marked the second time Trump had been to the area since the hurricane hit, visiting first shortly after the storm and before the November 2024 election.

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