Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene sparked backlash after she was photographed alongside former President Donald Trump at the Alabama-Georgia college football game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Saturday instead of helping with the recovery effort in Georgia following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
Hurricane Helene struck Florida on Thursday, then barreled through large sections of the southern and eastern U.S., resulting in at least 116 deaths and widespread destruction of homes and property.
On Friday, powerful wind gusts swept through Georgia, toppling trees, causing significant flooding, and leaving over half a million people without power. Crews in Georgia are working around the clock to clear debris and restore power, with emergency management teams deployed in 32 counties across the state.
But instead of attending to her constituents, Greene went to the football game—and even shared a photo of herself with Trump along with the following caption:
"A MAN OF THE PEOPLE!! Great to see President Trump tonight in Tuscaloosa! 100K strong to Make America Great Again!!!"
You can see her post and the photo below.
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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, anticipates the cost of Hurricane Helene will exceed the damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. He stated the storm "has been unlike any other storm I think we've ever faced because of the size of the wind field that this storm brought through and how it literally is affecting 159 counties, not just 20 or 30 counties in south Georgia."
Additionally, Georgia Power reports nearly double the damage to their system compared to the impact of Idalia in 2023. The company estimates over 5,000 power poles need to be repaired or replaced, more than 425 miles of wire were destroyed, 5,000 transformers were damaged, and crews must remove approximately 1,500 trees from power lines.
Given the scope of the disaster, what was Greene even doing in a neighboring state`instead of helping out?
She was swiftly criticized.
Most of middle Georgia was spared the worst of Hurricane Helene's destruction. Although initial forecasts predicted the storm would hit the area directly, Helene shifted east at the last minute, sending most of its devastation toward southern and eastern Georgia.
The death toll from the storm in the southeastern United States has risen to at least 100, according to authorities. A senior official suggested the number could “be as many as 600 lost lives” due to the storm.
President Joe Biden called the storm's impact “stunning” and assured reporters on Monday that his administration would “continue to surge resources, including food, water, communications, and life-saving equipment.”
In response to the storm, Vice President Kamala Harris’s office announced she would return to Washington, DC, earlier than planned, canceling her campaign events. Both she and Biden are expected to visit the affected region later this week.
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