The North Carolina National Guard told the Daily Caller that a plane carrying aid for Hurricane Helen victims arrived during Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit following claims that the visit was staged. I explained why it wasn’t there.
While at Sean Ryan’s store podcast On Thursday, Aerial Recovery members Jonathan Howard and Charlie Keebaugh claimed that the North Carolina National Guard needed to load the entire C-17 with supplies just for Vice President Kamala Harris’ photo op. He added that the plane was never sent for relief. Hurricane relief. Lt. Ellis Parks, director of public affairs for the North Carolina National Guard, told the caller that the trip was not for a photo shoot, but that the plane had mechanical problems and was unable to fly.
But relief supplies on the original plane arrived at hurricane relief efforts the next morning, Parks told the Caller.
“The personnel of the 145th Airlift Wing said, ‘We didn’t load the plane because she was coming. We did it because the people of Asheville needed us,'” the North Carolina National Guard said. officials told the caller.
Harris visited the North Carolina National Guard base on Oct. 5 to see how first responders were responding to Hurricane Helen. While at the base, the vice president met with officials and learned that the C-17 Saw A photo of hurricane relief supplies being loaded.
However, the plane, serial number 01-0197, did not fly to Asheville after the vice president’s visit. Instead, it took off for Germany on October 9. According to To flight records from Flight Radar.
Parks told the caller that after loading the plane with hurricane relief supplies, he went to start the C-17, but there was a fuel maintenance problem. All relief supplies on board C-17 01-0197 were removed from the plane and loaded onto another C-17 062, Parks continued.
The new C-17, 062, also suffered mechanical problems that night, but was able to deliver relief supplies to Asheville the next morning, Oct. 6, Parks said.
Parks added that the North Carolina National Guard had always planned to load a plane with hurricane relief supplies on Oct. 5, and that loading it during her visit was not a request from the vice president’s office.
A person familiar with the situation told the Caller that the vice president’s visit would not disrupt the National Guard’s existing plans to load supplies onto planes to distribute to those in need.
Members of Aerial Recovery previously claimed on Ryan’s podcast that they had learned from the North Carolina National Guard that the original C-17 was only carried on board for the vice president to take photos and videos in front of him. Other social media celebrities and commentators subsequently spread clips from Ryan’s podcast.
NEW: The North Carolina National Guard allegedly loaded supplies across C17 for Kamala Harris’ Hurricane Helen photo shoot without any intention that the supplies would be used.
The accusations came from Aerial Recovery members Jonathan Howard and Charlie Keebaugh. pic.twitter.com/z3MLkrwDmI
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 11, 2024
🚨BREAKING: Kamala Harris ordered the North Carolina National Guard to load disaster relief supplies onto a cargo plane just for photo ops, but never intended to send supplies to storm victims
This disqualifies her from running for office. pic.twitter.com/RZnKnKeZ6u
— Hodget Twins (@hodgetwins) October 10, 2024
“I had a squadron commander in North Carolina contact me. They had to load up a C-17 with supplies just to get a photo of Kamala. And they never sent the bird. I did,” Howard told Ryan.
“They sent a C-17, even though they had an entire C-17 loaded with supplies for hurricane victims, just for Kamara to go there and take pictures and take videos. “That never happened,” Howard continued.
Parks told the caller he was collecting maintenance codes and planned to release them to the public to show why the original plane never took off.
As Hurricanes Helen and Milton batter the Southeast, Harris and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have been locked in a back-and-forth over “political gamesmanship” in their response to the crisis. The vice president complained on Wednesday that the response to Hurricane Milton had become politicized, days after criticizing Mr. DeSantis for not responding to calls about Hurricane Milton. (Related: Biden given great chance to defend Kamala Harris, but praises DeSantis instead)
Florida’s governor responded to Harris’ comments, calling them “political games” and suggesting they may be a campaign stunt. President Joe Biden waved off an opportunity to defend Ms. Harris after a reporter asked if she thought Ms. DeSantis should take the call.
“All I can say is that I spoke with Governor DeSantis and he was very kind to me. He thanked me for everything we did. I know what they’re doing, and I think that’s important,” the president responded Wednesday before leaving the room.
