Trump to WNC: You Are Not Forgotten Any Longer - TribPapers
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Trump to WNC: You Are Not Forgotten Any Longer

President Trump appears with First Lady Melania, Franklin Graham, and four WNC families who had damaged or lost homes. Photo submitted.

Asheville – Four months after Helene hit North Carolina, many residents of Western North Carolina feel despair over what seems like a lack of assistance, expressing that they feel forgotten. With hope and anticipation, many awaited President Trump’s plan to help them recover.

Asheville was Trump’s first stop since taking the oath of office. Security was tight as President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump stepped out of Air Force One at the Asheville Regional Airport on January 24th. As a Secret Service helicopter flew overhead, a motorcade waited by the jet to transport the President and First Lady to the press conference.

Trump Stops To Meet The People

It appeared that the motorcade would simply drive off, but in true Trump fashion, he made them stop so he could speak to the crowd waiting on the tarmac, shaking hands and signing hats along the way.

The Politicians

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein was present to meet the First Family and speak with them.

Trump opened the press conference by stating, “I promised that I’d come back to North Carolina to help the people of the state, and today, here I am.” In attendance were Representatives Chuck Edwards, Virginia Foxx, Tim Moore, and Pat Harrigan; Steve Troxler, Commissioner of the NC Department of Agriculture; NC Speaker of the House Dustin Hall; NC House Majority Leader Brenden Jones; State Representative Dudley Green; and Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse and son of Billy Graham. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and RNC co-chair Michael Whatley from North Carolina were also present. Whatley has been appointed to lead the recovery effort, working closely with Edwards, Foxx, and Moore.

Powerful: Trump Gives The People A Voice

The most poignant part of the visit occurred when Franklin Graham took Trump to Swannanoa to introduce him and the First Lady to local residents who had experienced the worst of the storm. He greeted each person personally and then said, “The highest and deepest obligation of the American government is to protect its people, and that’s never truer than in times of emergency. Our government has failed you.”

President Trump outlined his plans for rebuilding and then invited family members to share their stories. The accounts were horrifying; none of these individuals thought they would survive.

The Wright family had two homes on their property. The parents’ home was destroyed when it crashed into their barn, taking all their farm equipment and ruining their business. The father rushed to save his blind and deaf dog and some valuables, fighting through falling trees to reach higher ground. The mother was in the other home caring for the dogs when floodwaters gutted the first floor. Fortunately, no one was injured. The son had proper flood insurance but has struggled to receive help from both the insurance company and FEMA.

When the water was ankle-deep, Chris and Kim West hurried to retrieve their dog, dog food, and whatever they could grab. By the time they got outside, the water was waist-deep and filled with debris. They fought against the currents and made it to higher ground, where they were trapped for hours. They lost everything.

Thomas Bright and Jackie Mitchell had to find a way to get onto the roof of their home, which had been inhabited by four generations. They watched homes, trailers, and bodies float by. Bright left messages on his phone for his children in case he didn’t survive. The water rose four feet onto the roof before it finally stopped.

Pastor Ramona Nix of Eagle Rock Church slept on the floor of the church for three months. She had no water or power at home and wanted to be at the church to care for people.

Nix’s daughter was home alone in the Bat Cave area because her husband was assisting an elderly woman. Her son hiked five miles to reach her. On their way out, they encountered a neighbor who had been killed by the floodwaters. Her son warned her, “Mom, you’re going to see things you don’t want to see.” They had to escape through Craigtown, where the Craig family was digging out their loved ones from mudslides. She described it as horrendous and pleaded with President Trump for assistance.

Trump and Melania were visibly moved by their stories, embracing each individual. Trump praised Graham and Samaritan’s Purse, along with all the other organizations that have been providing aid, assuring the people of Western North Carolina that they are not forgotten.