Hurricane Helene has devasted a wide swath of the Southeast, especially portions of North Carolina. Of course this has nothing to do with the government. A hurricane is what used to be known, quaintly, as an act of God.
But some of us remember with bitterness how the Democratic Party press blamed President Bush for Hurricane Katrina, and used that absurd narrative to destroy Bush’s second term. The idea of holding presidents responsible for hurricanes was always ridiculous, and it has never been repeated, although the Democrats did make a halfhearted run at blaming President Trump for Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico.
But at least one reporter wondered whether Joe Biden had some role in the devastation wrought by Helene:
At the end of the press conference, which was interrupted by his frequent coughs, the president grew defensive when a reporter pressed him on who was in command over the weekend to direct hurricane response. Biden spent the weekend at his beach home in Delaware.
The heated exchange happened at the White House after Biden concluded his remarks and turned to leave the Roosevelt Room.
“And the hurricane. Mr. President, why weren’t you and Vice President Harris here in Washington commanding this this weekend?” a reporter yelled as the president exited.
“I was commanding it,” Biden retorted from the doorway. “I was on the phone for at least two hours yesterday and the day before as well. I command it. It’s called a telephone and all my security people.”
Biden turned again to leave as the reporter began to ask, “Is it not important for the country to see?” The president left, and the door closed mid-question.
Response to emergencies like hurricanes is carried out overwhelmingly by state and local authorities who are on the scene, not by the federal government. Happily, no one at any level of government was waiting for instructions from the decrepit Joe Biden, calling in from his vacation home in Delaware.
If only George W. Bush had it so good.
UPDATE: You may wonder whether Kamala Harris, who allegedly plays a key role in every aspect of policy in the Biden administration, is involved in the Hurricane Helene response.
Just kidding:
So, what exactly was Kamala doing while hundreds are missing in North Carolina?
That is literally true. Harris was on a podcast talking about Doritos. She said that she prefers original Doritos because she is an “OG.”
If only George W. Bush had it this good. But I repeat myself.
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