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U.S. NEWS Saturday 9 March 2019
Trump surveys devastation, pays respects to tornado victims

Continued on Page 3 Trump passed overhead. “the A Plus treatment” as
Minutes before, Frazier, it recovers — rhetoric that
Mangled metal siding, whose mother survived the stood in contrast to Trump’s
wood planks, piping and tornado, had been argu- response to disasters on less
electric wires lay strewn ing with relatives who op- politically friendly territory.
on the ground, along with posed Trump’s visit, calling Alabama supported Trump
remnants of everyday life: it more about politics than by a wide margin in the
clothing, a sofa, a bottle compassion. 2016 presidential election,
of Lysol cleaner and a wel- Frazier disagreed. and he carried about 60
come mat encrusted with “I want the president here percent of the vote in Lee
dirt. to see what happened to County, where Beauregard
Trump and the first lady my mom’s house,” she said. is located. Blue Trump flags
spent the afternoon meet- “I want him right here on flying outside homes are a
ing with survivors, victims’ this land because my mom frequent sight in the town,
families and volunteers try- is about love and unity.” and many were seen wav-
ing to rebuild after the mas- Down the road, where sev- ing Friday. In the months
sive tornado carved a path eral people died, Trump after wildfires scorched
of destruction nearly a mile President Donald Trump hugs a resident as he and first lady supporter Bobby Spann California, a Democrat-led
wide, killing 23 people, in- Melania Trump talk with people Beauregard, Ala., Friday, March said he hoped the presi- state that voted for Hill-
cluding four children and 8, 2019, as they travel to tour areas where tornados killed 23 dent had learned “how to ary Clinton in 2016, Trump
a couple in their 80s, with people in Lee County, Ala. be a Southerner and how threatened to cut off fed-
ten victims belonging to a Associated Press to respect people” during eral aid unless the state
single extended family. telling a person to whom ing hugs. He also met pri- his brief visit. Spann said he embraced forest manage-
The trip was a familiar one he had just handed food vately with survivors and also hoped Trump realized ment policies he champi-
for Trump, who, now in the to “have a good time.” family members, including how much help is needed. oned.
third year of his presidency, This time, however, Trump a woman mourning the loss “Houses need to be re- He also engaged in a sus-
has traveled to the sites of appeared to avoid any of 10 relatives. placed. You can’t help the tained back-and-forth with
numerous disasters and such distractions aside from “What they’ve been dead folks, but you can try lawmakers from hurricane-
tragedies, including hurri- some hubbub caused by through is incredible,” to help the ones that’s still whipped Puerto Rico,
canes, shootings and wild- his decision to sign Bibles, Trump said after emerging living,” said Spann, chew- whose pro-statehood gov-
fires. which Providence Baptist from the meeting. ing on a yellowroot twig. ernor identifies as a Dem-
The day began with an Church had been distrib- Before Trump arrived in The tornado had partially ocrat. Trump repeatedly
aerial survey of the area by uting, along with clothing Beauregard, Renee Fra- peeled away the roof of blamed the U.S. territory
helicopter, which flew over and other supplies, includ- zier stood amid bricks and Spann’s mobile home. for its problems and noted
swaths of land where trees ing diapers, toiletries and lumber that used to be her Trump had said before the how much money recov-
had been flattened. Trump personal care products. mother’s home and waved visit that he’d instructed ery efforts had cost the fed-
and his wife, Melania, also Before signing autographs as the helicopter carrying FEMA to give Alabama eral government.q
visited a church serving as or posing for photos with
a makeshift disaster relief the volunteers there, Trump
center for survivors. He later thanked law enforcement
observed a moment of si- officials and other first re-
lence before white wood- sponders, as well as Home-
en crosses commemorat- land Security Secretary
ing each of the victims. Kirstjen Nielsen, who over-
Head bowed, Trump and sees the Federal Emergen-
his wife held hands as they cy Management Agency,
paused in front of each of which is assisting state and
the markers. Trump shook local response efforts.
his head as he stood in “I wanted to come the
front of one, which had day it happened,” he said,
been decorated with a tiny adding that Gov. Kay Ivey
pair of children’s sneakers. had asked him to wait.
Trump has, at times, strug- Before leaving the church,
gled with his role as con- Trump posed for a photo-
soler-in-chief during trips to graph with a fifth-grade
survey damage and meet volunteer and signed the
with tragedy victims. He child’s Bible, said Ada In-
memorably tossed paper gram, a local volunteer.
towels into a crowd as he Ingram said the president
surveyed damage follow- also signed her sister’s Bible.
ing hurricanes in Puerto The pastor, Rusty Sowell,
Rico — a move that some said the president’s visit
saw as inappropriate given was uplifting and will help
the circumstances — and bring attention to a com-
marveled at a yacht that munity that will need a
floodwaters had deposited long time to recover.
on a family’s property dur- “This is a marathon, not a
ing a trip to the Carolinas. sprint,” Sowell said.
“At least you got a nice Earlier, Trump spent time
boat out of the deal,” with three families who
Trump told the family. He lost loved ones, hearing
was caught on camera their stories and dispens-