Donald Trump's GoFundMe For Hurricane Helene Victims Raises Over $1 Million
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 's fundraiser for Hurricane Helene victims has received more than $1.5 million in donations in less than 24 hours.
At least 133 people lost their lives when this season's most powerful hurricane ripped through six Southeastern states, according to The Associated Press' most recent death toll. The Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia are battling to cope with widespread devastation and destruction.
Trump's Campaign Finance Director Meredith O'Rourke set up a GoFundMe for "MAGA supporters to offer their financial assistance to their fellow Americans impacted by Hurricane Helene" at around 1 p.m. ET on Monday.
As of 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday, the fundraiser had reached $1,650,810, with the largest donation coming from former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler , who gave $500,000.
When Newsweek contacted Trump's team for further comment, spokesperson Steven Cheung said: "Where's Kamala?" Newsweek has contacted the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris for a response.
Vice President Harris, who has not yet visited the affected areas, spoke at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters on Monday, saying: "Our nation is with you. We will continue to do everything we can to help you recover and to help you rebuild no matter how long it takes."
Trump criticized the response of President Biden's administration to the disaster during a visit to Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday, when he said that state Governor Brian Kemp was "having a hard time" calling Biden on the phone to discuss federal emergency relief.
But, earlier that same day, Kemp had told reporters that when he spoke with Biden on Sunday evening, the president told him that "if there's other things [Georgia] needs, just to call him directly, which [Kemp] appreciates."
Biden slammed Trump's comments , saying they are "simply not true" and "irresponsible." "[Trump's] lying, and the governor told him he was lying," Biden added, according to a pool report from the White House.
Trump also said he has received reports that "the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, were going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas," in a post on Truth Social .
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back on this at a press briefing on Monday, when she said FEMA has rescued and supported around 1,400 people across the affected areas.
She said: "It doesn't matter which state it is. It doesn't matter if it's a red state or blue state, this is their [FEMA's] job—to get food there, to get generators there, to save lives."
Biden has faced questions over his decision to spend the past week at his beach house in Delaware rather than visit the areas pounded by the storm. He said at a Monday news conference that he plans to visit some areas later this week, adding that it would be "disruptive if [he] did right now."
