Donald Trump Teams Up with Former GOP Rival Kemp to Assess Storm Damage in Crucial Battleground State

Former President Donald Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp are set to make their first joint appearance in four years on Friday as they receive a briefing on recovery and relief efforts following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, which recently struck the southeast United States.

The pair will visit Evans, a town in northeastern Georgia, where they will be briefed on the storm damage and deliver remarks to the press. Despite its significance in the upcoming presidential race, this event is not characterised as a campaign stop.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks outside the Chez What furniture store as he visits Valdosta, Ga., a town impacted by Hurricane Helene, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

This marks Trump’s second visit to Georgia this week, following a trip to Valdosta on Monday. Hurricane Helene has caused severe destruction across Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee, resulting in over 220 fatalities, hundreds missing, and more than 800,000 residents still without power or running water.

The estimated damage is in the billions of dollars. With Trump engaged in a tight presidential race against Vice President Kamala Harris, Georgia and North Carolina are crucial battleground states.

Trump has criticised President Biden and Harris for handling the federal response to the storm. In a social media post on Thursday, he stated, “It is going down as the WORST & MOST INCOMPETENTLY MANAGED ‘STORM,’ AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, EVER SEEN BEFORE,” as Biden surveyed the damage in the southeast for a second consecutive day.

Meanwhile, Harris visited Georgia on Wednesday for storm briefings and to meet with local officials and victims, cancelling a campaign swing in Pennsylvania.

Harris is set to travel to North Carolina on Saturday for further damage assessments and briefings on recovery efforts.

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally held in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 3, 2024. Reuters/Megan Varner

Despite their collaboration on this recovery effort, Trump’s relationship with Kemp has been tumultuous since the former president’s election loss in 2020.

Following that defeat, Trump publicly criticised Kemp for not supporting efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia. Trump backed a 2022 GOP primary challenge against Kemp from former Senator David Perdue, but after Kemp won renomination, Trump’s criticism softened.

However, Trump has not shied away from publicly attacking Kemp, labelling him “disloyal” and “very average” in an August rally. He also accused Kemp of failing to prevent a county prosecutor from indicting him over attempts to contest the election results.

In a surprising turn, Trump later praised Kemp in a social media post, acknowledging his support in Georgia and emphasising the importance of winning the state for the GOP’s success. This shift comes amid a tight presidential race, highlighting the significance of Kemp’s political machinery in turning out GOP voters.

In this Nov. 4, 2018, file photo, then-Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp, left, walks with then-President Donald Trump as Trump arrives for a rally in Macon, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File) (AP )

Kemp, emphasising the importance of Georgia for Trump’s electoral chances, stated in an August interview with Fox News Digital, “There’s no path for former President Trump to win or any Republican . . . to get to 270 [electoral votes] without Georgia.” He expressed confidence in winning the state with adequate support and efforts to mobilise the Republican vote.

As the political landscape intensifies leading up to the election, Trump and Kemp are under pressure to work together effectively, especially with Harris’s candidacy gaining traction. Kemp has urged Republicans to focus on articulating their plans and contrasting their policies with those of Harris and the current administration.