Donald Trump, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene, which struck North Carolina in September 2024, said that he would like to see states assume more responsibility in the aftermath of natural disasters, rather than the federal government.

In North Carolina, the president pledged “the support that you need to quickly recover and rebuild” after a hurricane. His message to fire-ravaged California had a different tone.

President Trump is heading to hurricane-battered North Carolina and wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles for the first trip of his second administration.