Trump pays a call on battered N.C.
NEW BERN, N.C. — Eager to show heart in a moment of crisis, President Donald Trump handed out hot dogs, hugs and comforting words in the Carolinas on Wednesday as he surveyed the wreckage left by Hurricane Florence. With residents still recovering from torrential rains that left widespread destruction and injury, Trump sought to strike a balance between comforter and cheerleader, mindful that he has been criticized in the past for not showing sufficient empathy in the face of tragedy. During a packed day, a wind-breakerclad Trump visited both North and South Carolina, distributed meals at a church, walked amid piles of sodden furniture in damaged neighborhoods, offered hugs and handshakes to residents and discussed the response efforts with local and state officials. “America grieves with you and our hearts break for you. God bless you,” he said during a briefing at a Marine base in Havelock, N.C. “We will never forget your loss. We will never leave your side. We’re with you all the way.” The emotional words and comprehensive itinerary stood in contrast with Trump’s trip to Puerto Rico last year after Hurricane Maria, when he drew criticism for tossing rolls of paper towels into the crowd. Or his initial visit to Houston after Hurricane Harvey, when he didn’t meet with any storm victims. Trump made his whirlwind tour through the Carolinas five days after the storm, which was blamed for at least 37 deaths in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. At Horry County’s emergency operations center, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said the storm likely had been the worst disaster in the state’s history, but warned it wasn’t over yet. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Florence was an “epic” storm and noted that farmers suffered significant losses and scores of people lost their homes. Some 10,000 people remain in shelters. “We will be there 100 percent,” pledged Trump.