WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to visit Western North Carolina on Friday in one of the first trips of his second term, The New York Post first reported.

The western part of the state is still grappling with the devastation of Helene, which left 104 people in North Carolina dead and was a point of criticism against Democrats for Trump as he campaigned for reelection.

Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, confirmed Trump planned to visit the state during an unrelated news conference Tuesday afternoon about snowstorm preparations.

“I think that is very good news for the people of Western North Carolina that this issue is front of mind for the new administration,” Stein said.

Stein added he had just learned about the trip, and did not yet know his plans for Friday, but hoped to be able to meet with Trump.

McClatchy had confirmed the trip to North Carolina and California on Tuesday morning with a person familiar with Trump’s travel plans, but who asked not to be identified by name or organization, so as not to get ahead of the White House.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has not immediately responded to a request for comment by email or phone.

Trump addressed the devastation in Western North Carolina during his inaugural address in the Capitol Rotunda just after noon Monday.

“Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina — who have been treated so badly — and other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago ...” Trump said, before pivoting to the fires in California.

Congressional response

Congress recessed early, in late September, as reports that Hurricane Helene would make landfall in the southeastern United States jeopardized its members’ ability to get home for their October recess, where they planned to spend the next month campaigning for reelection.

That left their constituents fending for themselves as the hurricane tore up the east coast, causing widespread flooding in places like Western North Carolina, and washed entire communities off the map.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, Republicans from North Carolina, called for Congress to return early to deal with the storm’s ramifications. But House Speaker Mike Johnson declined their requests.

Instead, North Carolina had to wait for an 11th-hour funding vote in December, which was almost compromised by Republican infighting.

State lawmakers

State lawmakers first passed two bills in the weeks after the storm that allocated more than $877 million for disaster relief, The News & Observer reported.

Their third effort, in November, barely dealt with the devastation in Western North Carolina. Instead, that bill stripped from Stein who took office in January, the ability to make appointments to the Board of Elections and Utilities Commission and limited his ability to replace the commander of the N.C. Highway Patrol.

Then-Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill, but Republicans in the state House and Senate were able to overturn it.

Trump’s visit

It’s not clear what Trump intends to do in Western North Carolina, or exactly where he plans to visit.

It will be the second visit Trump has made since Helene.

Leading up to his reelection, Trump visited and criticized the response by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as Cooper and other Democrats.

He’s also made several false statements about Helene that frustrated the Biden and Cooper administrations.

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