Hurricane Helene tore through parts of the southeastern United States, leaving absolute devastation in its wake, particularly in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and western North Carolina. By late Thursday and into Friday, the remnants of the storm had pounded the North Carolina mountains with catastrophic flooding, causing widespread destruction. Roads have been washed away, highways collapsed, and entire towns cut off from the outside world.
State officials are warning people to stay out of the area unless they’re part of the rescue and relief efforts. Meanwhile, the death toll in western North Carolina alone has climbed to at least 100, and it continues to rise, with some areas seeing as much as 30 inches of rain in a matter of days.
And where are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris during all this? Oh, that’s right. Biden was lounging on the beach in Rehoboth—because apparently, nothing says “presidential leadership” like kicking back while a natural disaster unfolds. And Kamala? She was busy clinking champagne glasses at megadonor fundraisers on the West Coast. To be fair, Biden did the obligatory paperwork to greenlight federal disaster assistance, but you’d think maybe showing a bit more concern than soaking up the sun would be in order. The optics, folks. The optics.
But then, in true Kamala fashion, we got the grand gesture—an X (formerly Twitter) post on Sunday night featuring a staged photo of the veep. In the photo, Harris is seen sitting at a desk, with a cell phone in front of her, pen in hand, earbuds on, and looking very official. The caption? A classic political attempt to prove she’s on top of things. Harris claimed she had been “briefed” by FEMA and had spoken with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper about the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. She assured us that the administration would stay in “constant contact” with state and local officials.
The X post read:
“I was just briefed by @FEMA_Deanne Criswell on the latest developments about the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene. We also discussed our Administration’s continued actions to support emergency response and recovery.
I also spoke with @NC_Governor Cooper about the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in North Carolina.
Our Administration will continue to stay in constant contact with state and local officials to ensure communities have the support and resources they need.
Doug and my thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones and those whose homes, businesses, and communities were damaged or destroyed during this disaster.”
I was just briefed by @FEMA_Deanne Criswell on the latest developments about the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene. We also discussed our Administration’s continued actions to support emergency response and recovery.
I also spoke with @NC_Governor Cooper about the ongoing… pic.twitter.com/nlZPB0h3mO
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 30, 2024
There’s just one little problem: upon closer inspection, it sure looks like Harris’ earbuds aren’t even plugged into her phone. Was she really on the phone or just playing another round of political theater? It’s not like this would be the first time. Remember the infamous video where she’s seen awkwardly pretending to listen while giving a cringe-worthy “I’m so serious” face? Yeah, this seems like more of the same.
Then there’s the piece of paper she’s allegedly scribbling on. Some eagle-eyed social media users speculated that it might be blank. Whether it was or wasn’t, the whole thing reeks of a cheap, staged photo op to make it look like she’s doing something important. But let’s be real: no one affected by this disaster is comforted by Kamala Harris pretending to care two days after the fact, especially when she spent the weekend wining and dining with West Coast elites.
Why aren’t your headphones plugged into your phone? https://t.co/lkPykBzwdD pic.twitter.com/EHrXJuPE6E
— Still Boneless (@still_boneless) September 30, 2024
She’s got corded earphones that aren’t even plugged in 😭😭😭
— Patrick Webb (@RealPatrickWebb) September 30, 2024
The worst part of all this isn’t the unplugged earbuds or the possibility that she wasn’t really on the phone. The real issue is the utter disconnect between Harris and the people who are suffering in places like western North Carolina. After all, if she actually cared, she wouldn’t be posting after-the-fact, staged photos. She would have been front and center, leading, not following, from the moment this disaster hit. But instead, she and Biden opted for vacation and fundraisers, leaving Americans to wonder where their leadership was during one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory.
The photo might have been meant to show leadership, but it only highlights the gap between what Harris pretends to be and what the American people actually need—a real leader, not one who just poses as one for the cameras.
