Harris and the White House criticise Donald Trump for his attacks on the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton

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Vice-president Kamala Harris and the White House criticized Donald Trump for his attacks on the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and suggested he was wrongly trying to turn the deadly storms to his political advantage, reports the Associated Press (AP).

Attending a town hall sponsored by Univision in Las Vegas, Harris was asked about complaints that federal officials have bungled disaster recovery efforts. She responded, “In this crisis – like in so many issues that affect the people of our country – I think it so important that leadership recognises the dignity” to which people are entitled.

“I have to stress that this is not a time for people to play politics,” Harris added.

Those comments came after the former president spoke at the Detroit Economic Club, offering sympathy to people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the latter of which came ashore in Florida on Wednesday night. But Trump also suggested that the Biden administration’s response had been lacking, particularly in North Carolina after Helene.

“They’ve let those people suffer unjustly,” said Trump, who has for several days promoted falsehoods about the federal response, reports the AP.

Harris virtually attended a briefing, held in the White House situation room with president Joe Biden, on emergency efforts in Milton’s wake. In subsequent comments to reporters, Biden slammed Trump and his supporters for spreading misinformation about federal assistance available to victims.

“They’re being so damn un-American with the way they’re talking about this stuff,” Biden said, then adding directly to Trump: “Get a life, man. Help these people.”

Despite the storm, Trump and Harris are both visiting key swing states strategically, trying to increase support with key voting blocs who could decide an election expected to be exceedingly close.

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