Trump Lauds North Carolinians Who Voted Early Amid Post-Hurricane Chaos

The former president visited a badly damaged small community and pledged his continued support as voters headed to the polls.
Trump Lauds North Carolinians Who Voted Early Amid Post-Hurricane Chaos
Mike Stewart prays for Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald J. Trump in Asheville, N.C., on Oct. 21, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
Janice Hisle
Updated:
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SWANNANOA, N.C.—Standing on the silt-covered ground amid piles of debris, former President Donald Trump said the aftermath of Hurricane Helene left him awestruck. So did the grit of North Carolinians who cast a record-breaking number of early votes as they continued grappling with the storm’s aftermath.

In response to a question from The Epoch Times at an Oct. 21 news conference near Asheville, North Carolina, Trump shared his message to those early voters: “The first thing I'd say is, ‘We love you,’ because that’s really something special, really, for them to do that.”

More than 353,000 North Carolina voters cast ballots on Oct. 17, breaking the state’s record for the first day of early voting, elections officials said; more than 1 million votes have been cast in North Carolina despite widespread damage. Among the state’s 100 counties, 25 are declared disaster areas.

“I mean, they lost their house and they’re standing outside, voting,” Trump said, adding, “These are special people. These are people with heart.”

Trump, who seeks the presidency in the Nov. 5 election, also acknowledged: “We want them to vote, but we want them to live and survive and be happy and healthy. Because this is really a tragedy.”

Helene, a powerful Category 4 storm, hit Florida on Sept. 26. Then it traveled northward into other states including North Carolina. The storm caused widespread flooding, landslides, power outages, and deaths; at least 95 lives were lost in North Carolina alone.

Business owners, community leaders, and onlookers said that Trump’s visit to their small, hard-hit community—and his commitment to continuing to help—buoyed their spirits as they face a months-long recovery.

“The American people are with you all the way,” said Trump, the Republican nominee opposing Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris as they each vie to become the nation’s 47th president.

Brian Burpeau, owner of Diamondback 4x4 automotive service center—a storm-damaged business that served as the news conference site on Monday—told Trump: “Mr. President, I can’t thank you enough for coming out. ... We need that shot of hope in the arm. ... We need to know we’re going to be okay and not forgotten.”

Burpeau said he was in disbelief when his general manager called and told him: “The building’s under water.”

“The river is so far away from us, and I thought he was just playing a joke,” Burpeau told reporters. “I couldn’t believe what I saw when I got off the Swannanoa exit. We lost bridges, we’ve lost businesses, we lost homes, we’ve lost people. The devastation here is just not anything I would have ever imagined.”

The community in the western section of North Carolina is protected by mountains and is located about 400 miles inland from the Carolina coast, making it generally less susceptible to damage from hurricanes.

Private citizens, businesspeople, and charitable organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse have stepped forward to assist North Carolina’s storm-recovery efforts. And Trump started a GoFundMe online account that raised nearly $8 million to help people most affected by Hurricane Helene. Trump said that fundraising effort was continuing.

‘Like a Nuke Went Off’

Asheville area ahead of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald J. Trump’s remarks to the press in Swannanoa, N.C., on Oct. 21, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Asheville area ahead of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald J. Trump’s remarks to the press in Swannanoa, N.C., on Oct. 21, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Among dozens of residents who showed up for Trump’s visit was Amber Davis, 30. She brought her son, Brantley, 7, saying he “loves Trump.” Davis, whose home suffered some roof damage but is “still livable,” early-voted for Trump. Asked why she supported Trump, Davis said she likes Trump’s policies and that Harris has avoided answering “a simple question about anything she wants to do.”

Davis lives in nearby Black Mountain, where “life is starting to get a little more normal,” as businesses are reopening, she said.

But Davis lamented, “Swannanoa just looks like a nuke went off.”

The former president, responding to a second question from The Epoch Times, said he had seen quite a few storm-damaged areas in the past.

But the damage he saw from Hurricane Helene was “much more spread out” than the damage he has observed from tornadoes. He had seen tornadoes spare one spot, yet in the adjacent area, “literally there wasn’t a thing left,” Trump said.

Amber Davis, 30, with son, Brantley, 7, after an interview with The Epoch Times in Swannanoa, N.C., on Oct. 21, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Amber Davis, 30, with son, Brantley, 7, after an interview with The Epoch Times in Swannanoa, N.C., on Oct. 21, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Mike Stewart, the owner of Pine View Buildings, a business that had been located across U.S. 70 from Burpeau’s service center, told reporters: “We lost everything.”

“We had 70-plus buildings. We drove here two days later, and there wasn’t one building that was ours,” he said. Instead, there were “houses and trailers and tankers and all sorts of things” strewn across his property, Stewart said.

Still, Stewart acknowledged others have suffered even worse losses.

“There are a lot of people who lost everything, including loved ones,” he said. Turning to Trump, he said, “And I believe that you can serve as a great inspiration to this community right now. ... I think God’s given you indomitable spirit, and no matter what gets thrown at you, you find a way to press through.”

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump has faced criminal prosecutions, lawsuits, efforts to remove his name from ballots, and two assassination attempts.

Impromptu Prayer Offered

Stewart said the former president’s visit to Swannanoa will “serve as an inspiration to this community to press on and move forward.”

After hearing Stewart’s heartfelt words, Trump thanked him and said, “No speechwriter could write that.”

Stewart responded by asking Trump if he could pray for him; Trump agreed. Stewart prayed for God to give Trump “a spirit of wisdom and understanding and insight as he moves to lead this nation back to greatness.”

Whether Trump or Harris wins the election could depend, in part, on voters in North Carolina—a key state up for grabs in the 2024 presidential contest.

In North Carolina, Trump is leading Harris by less than 1 percentage point in the RealClearPolitics average of opinion polls. Trump also leads her in the other six states—Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. But all are within the margin of error, making the race a statistical tie.

If Trump regains the White House, he promised to “support and totally complete the rebuilding of every region and town and city that was devastated by the hurricane.” He also said he would “personally recruit businesses from all over the world to help restore the prosperity to the region.”

Further, Trump pledged to “slash through every bureaucratic barrier” preventing people from getting more help. Trump and others have criticized the federal response to the disaster as slow and insufficient. But President Joe Biden has pushed back, saying that 3,600 federal employees were deployed across multiple states.

State Rep. Tim Moore, speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, told reporters: “I’ve not gotten a single call from the White House.”

He said Trump and his team “have been in touch with us from day one.”

Janice Hisle
Janice Hisle
Reporter
Janice Hisle reports on former President Donald Trump's campaign for the 2024 general election ballot and related issues. Before joining The Epoch Times, she worked for more than two decades as a reporter for newspapers in Ohio and authored several books. She is a graduate of Kent State University's journalism program. You can reach Janice at: [email protected]
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