Trump Orchestrates Effort to Help Helene Victims, Supporters Step Up in Incredible Way

Forgiving the powerful people who have harmed American citizens in recent years will require much future reflection and prayer.

In the meantime, the moment calls for acts of generosity, which, by God’s infinite wisdom, can lead us to forgiveness.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump initiated a GoFundMe campaign to help victims of Hurricane Helene. As of early Tuesday morning, the campaign had already raised over $1.9 million, far exceeding its original goal of $1 million.

A big reason that GoFundMe thrived? The former president helped spread word of the relief effort via his social media platform Truth Social.

Earlier on Monday, Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia, where he focused national attention on the catastrophe that has befallen the Southeast.

Moreover, he did not arrive empty-handed.

“Today I have come to Valdosta with large semi-trucks, many of them, filled with relief aid and a tanker truck filled up with gasoline. We have a couple of the big tanker trucks filled up with gasoline, which they can’t get now,” Trump said in a clip posted to the social media platform X.

Trump in Valdosta, GA on Hurricane Helene: “I have come with large semi-trucks, many of them filled with relief aid and a tanker truck filled up with gasoline…” pic.twitter.com/aJK1unMYFu

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 30, 2024

Trump delivered those supplies to evangelist Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse relief organization.

Here is a clip of the former president greeting volunteers from the organization:

President Trump tours damage from Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Georgia and shakes hands with the amazing volunteers from Samaritans Purse! pic.twitter.com/ycfmpwt5do

— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) September 30, 2024

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida late Thursday evening. While Helene has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, the damage has been catastrophic regardless.

By Saturday, Americans had learned of heavy damage and heartbreaking loss of life across the Southeast and into southern Appalachia, particularly western North Carolina, where massive flooding and landslides washed away roads and left parts of the region isolated from the outside world.

Days later, receding flood waters in Asheville, North Carolina, have finally revealed the extent of the damage.

I’d like to know when the people in Asheville, North Carolina, get their debit cards with thousands of dollars on them…. pic.twitter.com/15T6hZJKXJ

— @Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) October 1, 2024

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, after first insisting that the federal government had done all it could, finally took time away from another of his vacations and made a statement about the disaster on Monday afternoon.

After delivering his statement, Biden sounded irritated by a reporter who asked why the president remained on vacation this weekend.

In fact, in a nearly three-minute clip posted to X, Laura Ingraham of Fox News highlighted the inadequate responses to Helene on the part of both the prickly Biden and the absentee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Laura Ingram did a great job summarizing the response from Biden/Harris versus the response from Donald Trump.

I mean, the difference couldn’t be more stark.

I have truly never seen such callous incompetence and disregard for the American people as I have witnessed during the… pic.twitter.com/QML2IZdWx4

— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) October 1, 2024

Of course, we have seen this movie over and over again in the last four years.

Biden and Harris have repeatedly made it clear that they do not prioritize American citizens. The people of Maui, East Palestine and now the Southeast have learned this the hard way. So did the brave men and women who lost their lives during the Biden administration’s utterly disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. And so have Americans in communities that Biden and Harris have flooded with violent illegal immigrants.

As Trump has shown through his extraordinary leadership, however, we must find a way to forget all of those betrayals for the time being and focus on the people who need relief now.

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Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.

Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.

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