Donald Trump has ridiculed Vice President Kamala Harris for ‘pretending’ to work on Hurricane Helene disaster relief in a photo posted on her social media.
An image posted on Harris’s X account Sunday shows the VP aboard a plane with headphones while seemingly on a call while she studiously writes on paper in front of her.
The post even mentioned how she was coordinating with North Carolina’s governor to help the state’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene killed at least 30 in the Asheville area.
At least 121 deaths in six states have been attributed to the storm — a toll that climbed Monday as a clearer picture emerged of the devastation it inflicted on an area stretching from Florida’s Gulf Coast northward to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia.
However, Trump pointed out a glaring issue with the photo.
Vice President Kamala Harris posed this on her official X account on Sunday and many were quick to point out her headphones do not appear plugged in
‘You have to plug the cord into the phone for it to work!’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social app, pointing out the headphone she’s wearing isn’t attached to her phone on the desk.
‘Another fake and staged photo from someone who has no clue what she is doing.’
However, the angle of the image does not provide a sight-line to the port in the VP’s phone, raising the possibility that her headphones were in fact plugged in to the device.
The earphone’s cord falls straight down seemingly on the VP’s lap and not onto the phone one the table before her, also meaning there could be a second phone involved in this latest scandal.
The photo appearing to show Harris hard at work on the phone is captioned: ‘I was just briefed by [FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell] on the latest developments about the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene. We also discussed our Administration’s continued actions to support emergency response and recovery.’
‘I also spoke with [Gov. Roy] Cooper about the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in North Carolina,’ the post continued. ‘Our Administration will continue to stay in constant contact with state and local officials to ensure communities have the support and resources they need.’
Harris has yet to visit any of the states impacted by the tragic and deadly storm.
Trump, on the other hand, went to Valdosta, Georgia, to tour damage done by Helene on Monday afternoon.
Flooding caused by the storm that started as Hurricane Helene covering streets in Asheville, North Carolina, USA, 27 September 2024
Flood damage is seen along Mill Creek in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 30, 2024 in Old Fort, North Carolina. According to reports, at least 120 people have been killed across the southeastern U.S., and millions are without power due to the storm
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump gives brief statements as he arrives at Valdosta Regional Airport to visit areas affected by Hurricane Helene on September 30, 2024 in Valdosta, Georgia
Trump speaks at the event in Georgia where he toured damage caused by Helene
He spoke to those impacted by the storm and helped distribute goods to those in attendance.
The former president, in addition to ripping her for the ‘staged’ photo, slammed Harris for letting Americans drown.
‘Biden and Harris abandoned Americans in Afghanistan,’ Trump’s post continued.
‘They sacrificed Americans to an Open Border, and now, they have left Americans to drown in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and elsewhere in the South.’
Online personalities also were quick to highlight questionable aspects of Harris’ picture.
‘Blank paper. Headphones not plugged in. Everything about Kamala is fake,’ the account Libs of TikTok posted.
The House Judiciary Committee Republican’s X account similarly posted: ‘Her headphones aren’t even plugged into the phone.’
‘Things that can be seen: VP logo on coffee cup. Standard text on plane window. Things that cannot be seen: Kamala actually writing any notes as she pretends to take a phone call,’ another user wrote.
A meme posted in response to Harris’s photo is captioned ‘There will never be a more fake duo’ showing Milli Vanilli – a defamed European music group that performed but never actually their sang songs – stacked on top of a picture of Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz captioned ‘Hold our beers!’
Democratic presidential candidate US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 29 September 2024
Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris departs Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., September 30, 2024
Harris, meanwhile, cancelled her planned campaign stops for Monday in order to return to Washington D.C. for briefings on Helene.
She left Las Vegas in the morning and will be in Washington for a briefing at FEMA on Monday afternoon, according to her campaign.
She said she will also visit the devastated areas when it won’t disrupt the emergency response efforts.
President Joe Biden said Monday he expects to visit the areas devastated by Hurricane Helene later this week and insisted he was in command even though he was at his beach house this weekend when the storm made landfall.
‘I’ve told the governor of North Carolina I’ll go down and I expect to be down there by Wednesday or Thursday when it is clear for me,’ he told reporters at the White House.
‘I’m committed to traveling to impacted areas as soon as possible, but I’ve been told that it would be disruptive if I did it right now,’ he noted.
The president also got defensive when asked how he was in command while spending the weekend at his Rehoboth Beach vacation home while the hurricane was devastating parts of the South.
‘I was commanding, I was on the phone for at least two hours yesterday, and the day before, as well. I commanded, it’s called a telephone,’ he said.
As of Monday afternoon 600 people were still missing as a result of the tremendous hurricane.
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