WASHINGTON -
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Monday called former U.S. president Donald Trump 鈥渋ncredibly irresponsible鈥 for spreading falsehoods about the federal response to Hurricane Helene's destruction, offering especially sharp words as a new storm bears down on Florida with just weeks until Election Day.
"There鈥檚 a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, particularly to the survivors of Helene,鈥 Harris told reporters before boarding Air Force Two to fly to New York. 鈥淚t鈥檚 extraordinarily irresponsible. It鈥檚 about him. It鈥檚 not about you.鈥
Helene has killed more than 220 people in six U.S. states, and Category 5 Hurricane Milton is on a path toward Florida's Gulf Coast.
Trump has made a series of false claims in the wake of Helene, including saying incorrectly that the federal government is intentionally withholding aid to Republican disaster victims. He also falsely claimed the Federal Emergency Management Agency had run out of money because all of it had gone to programs for immigrants in the country illegally.
Harris said 鈥渢he reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them now, and resources that are about helping people get back on their feet and rebuild and have places to go.鈥
鈥淧eople are entitled to these resources, and it is critically important that people apply for the help that is there to support,鈥 the vice-president added. 鈥淎ll those resources were created for just these types of moments, in an emergency situation, knowing that folks are entitled to have the relief that they so rightly need.鈥
Trump also said during a visit Valdosta, Ga., last week that U.S. President Joe Biden was 鈥渟leeping鈥 and not responding to calls from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Biden had, in fact, spoken with Kemp and said of Trump, 鈥淗e鈥檚 lying, and the governor told him he was lying.鈥
Harris also criticized another high-profile Republican, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, suggesting he's 鈥減laying political games鈥 and engaging in 鈥減olitical gamesmanship鈥 in Helene's wake.
Harris office says the vice-president reached out to DeSantis last week in the storm鈥檚 aftermath. DeSantis said Monday that he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 know that she had called鈥 and 鈥渢hey didn鈥檛 call me.鈥
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 anything anybody in my office did in saying that it was political,鈥 DeSantis said.
But Harris, asked about DeSantis, said 鈥減eople are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games at this moment in these crisis situations 鈥 is utterly irresponsible.鈥
鈥淚t is selfish and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first,鈥 Harris said without naming DeSantis.
DeSantis later spoke with President Joe Biden to discuss preparations for the coming storm. Biden, according to the White House, asked DeSantis 鈥渢o call him directly if there is anything that can be done to further support the response and recovery efforts.鈥
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, at her briefing with reporters Monday, noted that DeSantis was invited to tour Helene damage in Florida with Biden but didn't join him.
鈥淚f you have the president, and you have the vice-president, reaching out to offer up assistance 鈥 providing to your constituents, the people who live in your state, to make sure we are doing everything that we need to do from the federal response," Jean-Pierre said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 up to the governor, it鈥檚 up to him if he wants to respond to us or not.鈥