In the aftermath of back-to-back catastrophic hurricanes, Helene and Milton, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are putting the focus on climate change in their dueling presidential campaigns. The hurricanes have intensified the candidates’ attention on disaster response, with Trump using the disasters to attack Harris and President Joe Biden’s response efforts. Harris, on the other hand, is focusing on hurricane preparedness, response, and relief. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence linking the powerful hurricanes to climate change, Harris has not made climate change a significant part of her election pitch.
Environmental groups are following Harris’s lead in messaging around the hurricanes, focusing on how federal climate spending is creating jobs and bringing down energy costs. The advocacy group Climate Power released a video highlighting how Trump’s proposed policies could privatize the National Weather Service, impacting Americans’ ability to stay safe during future disasters.
Both candidates are now talking about climate change, although they are not explicitly using those words. The Biden administration’s climate legacy and the urgency of addressing global warming during these natural disasters have pushed the issue to the forefront of the presidential race. Despite the differences in their approaches, both candidates are addressing the impact of climate change on hurricane intensity and the need for effective disaster response and preparedness.
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