Kamala Harris’ Lebanon Relief Under Scrutiny As GOP Stokes Helene Backlash

Vice President Kamala Harris has been criticized by MAGA and Republican figures after she expressed concerns about civilian lives in Lebanon and announced further aid to the country.
Harris described on social media how the people of Lebanon are in an “increasingly dire humanitarian situation” as Israel continues its bombing campaign targeting militant group Hezbollah, including hitting the country’s capital of Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli.
Israel is around a week into a ground incursion into southern Lebanon after nearly a year of regularly exchanging fire with Hezbollah, which has been attacking the north of Israel in what it described as solidarity with Hamas.
The vice president was condemned for announcing around $157 million in additional aid for Lebanon as millions of Americans in the Southeast U.S. who have been left devastated by Hurricane Helene require federal assistance.
The backlash arrived after a number of GOP figures attempted to politicize the response to the natural disaster with just a few weeks until the 2024 election. The key swing states of Georgia and North Carolina are among those that have been affected by the powerful storm
Donald Trump, Harris’ 2024 rival, has also been criticized by President Joe Biden’s administration for falsely suggesting that the federal government is unable to fund a response to Helene because the money is being spent on migrants or supporting international efforts instead.
“The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there,” Harris said.
“To that end, the United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon for essential needs such as food, shelter, water, protection, and sanitation to help those who have been displaced by the recent conflict. This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million.”
In response, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said: “Yes it’s a real post.
“Kamala Harris is ‘concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon.’ She has sent them $385 million this year, $157 million this week. Kamala gave Hurricane Helene victims $750 bucks. Americans can fire her soon.”
Florida Senator Rick Scott wrote: “If we renamed Florida and North Carolina to Lebanon and Ukraine, maybe Kamala Harris would send disaster relief faster. She’s made it clear that being Americans puts us last in line.”
Trump’s senior campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita added: “Tone Deafness runs in Washington….”
Newsweek has contacted Harris’ campaign team for comment via email.
Harris visited North Carolina on Saturday to speak to officials dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane.
The same day, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced that $100 million in emergency relief funds will be dispatched to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to help deal with flood damage.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Harris said: “Today, I announced that the Biden-Harris Administration will provide $100 million to repair I-40, a major artery for western North Carolina. We will stand with North Carolina and every state affected by this storm for the long haul.”
More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza last October in response to the attack from Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and military deaths.
At least 227 people have been killed after Helene devastated six states, including as Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. Officials believe the death toll will rise further in the coming days.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that $47 million in disaster assistance has been designated to help those impacted by the storm. Biden has approved federal disaster assistance across the six states.
Elsewhere, Biden accused Trump of being a “liar” after the Republican claimed that the administration “stole” FEMA money so they could “give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season.”
Biden wrote on X: “He’s the guy who redirected relief funds as president. We are moving heaven and earth to make sure that everyone affected by Hurricane Helene gets what they need.”
The president’s post included a screenshot of a Washington Post fact-check story headlined “No, Biden didn’t take FEMA relief money to use on migrants—but Trump did.”
The article notes that Trump’s administration moved $155 million meant for FEMA disaster relief to support immigration enforcement in 2019.
Newsweek has contacted Trump’s campaign team for comment via email.
Harris also received backlash from progressive figures for her Lebanon comments due to the Biden administration’s support of Israel as it carries out its attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.
Ben Norton, editor of Geopolitical Economy Report, posted: “The Biden-Harris admin is giving Israel billions of dollars of weapons to massacre civilians in Lebanon.
“Biden and Harris 100 percent support Israel’s criminal invasion of Lebanon. The U.S. gov’t is like a serial killer giving ‘humanitarian aid’ to an orphan after murdering their family.”
Left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker wrote: “The way American leadership treats Israel’s violent acts as a natural disaster is disgusting. Especially when you realize that they give Israel the bombs to create the ‘increasingly dire humanitarian situation.'”