White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed that President Trump spoke with North Carolina Senator Thom Willis and Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo Thursday morning as their state braces for the full force of Hurricane Florence.
“The President offered his support and reiterated the federal government’s willingness to help with whatever is needed,” Mrs. Sanders said in a statement to White House pool reporters.
The offer comes as Mr. Trump comes under bipartisan criticism for denying nearly 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria. He claimed the numbers were inflated by Democrats that were “trying to make [him] look bad.”
There is no word yet from the press pool on any reaction from the president or staff on this morning’s tweet.
The outer rim of Category 2 Hurricane Florence has already hit the North Carolina coast. The brunt of the storm is expected to affect both Carolinas and parts of Virginia through Friday at least.
President Trump said the federal government is prepared to handle the aftermath of the monster storm, and continues to echo the warnings of state and local officials for residents to evacuate.
“Get out of the way. Don’t play games with it. It’s a big one,” he said in an address on Twitter.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2018
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