Only one accepted the Air Force One invitation -- Republican Rep. James Comer, whose 1st CD includes Graves County, Axios reported.
In Washington, Comer is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, who is probably chomping at the bit to launch investigations into the Biden administration should the GOP gain control of the House in the midterms.
Comer has said that he’d make it a top priority to investigate the business dealings of Hunter Biden, calling the president’s son “a national security threat.” He also criticized the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and the administration’s handling of border security.
In a statement to CNN, Comer said, "I followed up on productive conversations with local officials and relayed requests regarding needs facing the 1st Congressional District directly to the President.”
"In the coming days, my office will continue working to help our constituents navigate the disaster relief programs available to them at a time of tremendous needed,” he added.
During his visit, Biden graciously thanked Comer for giving him a “passport” into his district. The president also emphasized his frequent call for unity while visiting Kentucky.
He said:
"People just come out of nowhere to help as a community, and that's what it's supposed to be. That's what America's supposed to be."
Biden reassured local residents that the federal government would cover 100% of the cost to clean up from the tornado damage for the first 30 days of coverage, among other offers of federal assistance.
"There's no red tornadoes or blue tornadoes. There's no red states or blue states when this stuff starts to happen. And I think, at least in my experience, it either brings people together or really knocks them apart," he continued.
Just compare that to Donald Trump’s lack of empathy and blame shifting when California was hit by raging wildfires in August 2020.
“I see again the forest fires are starting," he told a rally in swing state Pennsylvania, trying to score political points off of the tragedy in a blue state."They’re starting again in California. I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests — there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they’re like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up."
“Maybe we’re just going to have to make them pay for it because they don’t listen to us,” he added.
It wasn’t until October 2020 that Trump reversed his decision to reject California’s request for wildfire relief after both Gov. Gavin Newsom and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pleaded their case in a telephone call to the White House for their state receiving the needed aid.
Among those answering the call to help in recovery efforts in Kentucky was Cliff Giambrone, a retired construction worker from Hamburg, Pa., who was in the crowd outside the U.S. Capitol protesting the election results on Jan. 6, The Washington Post reported.
Giambrone usually uses two 10-foot poles on his pickup truck to fly a derogatory message aimed at Biden: “Let’s Go Brandon.” He decided to leave that flag at home and fly an American flag on his pickup truck when he drove to Kentucky.
“Believe me, part of me wants to wave that flag and smile when he (Biden) looks at it,” Giambrone told the Post while he was searching the rubble of a home in Mayfield. “But I don’t want to be that guy.”
He added: “I am political, but there are times you have to set that aside. This is one of those moments. I hope it’s not temporary. I didn’t vote for him, but he’s still my president. I want to support him.”
The Washington Post story headlined “In Trump country, a willingness to set aside politics as Biden visits” is an interesting read on the reaction of local residents to Biden’s visit.
Graves County was perhaps the most conservative place Biden has visited as president, but many residents welcomed his visit even though they wondered how effectively he may be able to help them.
Here is some reaction from local residents reported in the Post story:
“I didn’t vote for the president, and I’m not a fan of his policies,” said Clayton Howe, a 57-year-old lifelong resident who was assessing damage to his downtown building that Biden would walk past an hour later. “But I appreciate him being here. He’s still the president of the United States.”
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