New Ad Campaign Targets Trump’s Disaster Relief Response

Vice President Kamala Harris is launching a digital ad campaign that critiques former President Donald Trump’s management of natural disaster relief during his time in office. The ad, titled “Withhold,” features two former officials from Trump’s administration who express their concerns about his approach to disaster assistance, particularly for Democratic states. This campaign comes as Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm, is poised to impact Florida, heightening the relevance of the discussion around disaster response.

The ad responds directly to Trump’s recent attacks on the federal government’s handling of Hurricane Helene. In his remarks, Trump made unfounded claims that Harris had spent all available FEMA funds on housing undocumented migrants and suggested that the Biden administration had neglected certain Republican areas in North Carolina for political reasons.

In the ad, Olivia Troye, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and Kevin Carroll, a former official at the Department of Homeland Security, recall instances where Trump seemed to imply that disaster relief should be withheld from states that did not support him in elections. Carroll states, “He would suggest not giving disaster relief to states that hadn’t voted for him.”

Troye adds, “I remember one time after a wildfire in California, he wouldn’t send relief because it was a Democratic state. So we went as far as looking up how many votes he got in those impacted areas to show him, ‘These are people who voted for you.’ This isn’t normal.” Both former officials indicate their intention to vote for Harris, with Troye having previously endorsed her and speaking out against Trump at the Democratic National Convention.

The Trump campaign has yet to respond to requests for comments on the ad. However, the new campaign follows a Politico E&E News report that analyzed Trump’s track record, suggesting that he was often partisan in his disaster response, at times delaying aid to areas he deemed politically hostile while favoring states that supported him.

The report referenced interviews with Troye and Mark Harvey, Trump’s senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council. In response, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed these claims as “fabricated,” asserting that they originate from “someone’s demented imagination.”

The Biden administration has faced scrutiny following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, particularly in North Carolina and Georgia. Trump and his campaign have ramped up criticism of Harris, alleging that her response has been inadequate and that she is more focused on her presidential aspirations than on aiding those affected by the disaster.

Both Harris and Trump recently visited affected areas in Georgia and North Carolina, receiving briefings from local officials. In response to Trump’s criticisms, Harris addressed reporters at Joint Base Andrews, stating, “There’s a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, in particular to the survivors of [Hurricane] Helene. First of all, it’s extraordinarily irresponsible; it’s about him, it’s not about you.”

Harris also spoke to reports of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, not responding to her attempts to reach him, clarifying that he claimed he was unaware of her outreach. She emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, “People are in desperate need of support right now, and playing political games at this moment… is just utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish.”

The ad campaign is part of a broader strategy by the Harris-Walz campaign, which has allocated $370 million for digital and television advertising between Labor Day and Election Day. The “Withhold” ad will begin airing on digital and social media platforms across key battleground states starting Thursday evening.

As the storm approaches, the focus on disaster relief and political accountability is intensifying, with both sides vying to shape public perception amid ongoing natural disasters. The Harris campaign aims to draw a sharp contrast between its approach to disaster management and the criticisms of Trump’s past actions, positioning Harris as a candidate committed to serving all Americans in times of crisis.