Former President Donald Trump said the White House doesn’t have any money available to deal with aiding those affected by Hurricane Helene because they used “it all on illegal migrants.”

“The Harris-Biden administration says they don’t have any money…. They spent it all on illegal migrants,” Mr. Trump said to the crowd at his rally in Saginaw, Michigan.

He said the administration “stole the FEMA money just like they stole it from a bank so they could give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season.”

Mr. Trump called it “the worst response in the history of hurricanes.”

“A certain president — I will not name him — destroyed his reputation with Katrina. And this is doing even worse,” Mr. Trump said, in a reference to Republican President George W. Bush. 

President Biden defended his response to the hurricane Thursday, saying he had a plan in place before the storm made landfall.

“Days before the storm hit, I pre-positioned extensive resources on the ground throughout the Southeast, extensively — first responders, search and rescue teams, food, water, ambulances — before Helene made landfall,” Mr. Biden said after touring the damage in Ray City, Georgia.

He said he had approved disaster relief funding before the storm hit, unlocking federal aid for the states impacted by the storm, which includes Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. 

— Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.