Trump voters trust while Harris supporters bite their nails in North Carolina

About 60 miles from the Blue Ridge Mountain town of Swannanoa, evidence of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene starts to show itself.

Hundreds of uprooted pine trees line the road, but this damage is minor compared to the devastation in Swannanoa itself.

Nearly five weeks after the 140-mph winds hit, cars and rubble from collapsed houses remain where they fell, and a foul smell of damaged sewers hangs in the air. But at Valley Hope Church, locals gather for a trunk ‘n’ treat event, handing out Halloween gifts and costumes to the town’s children.

This is true Donald Trump caused outrage by claiming that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was absent in the immediate aftermath because it had spent much of its budget helping illegal immigrants cross the country’s southern border.

The claim, which has been debunked, led to attacks on FEMA personnel as they tried to return a sense of normalcy to cities like these.

Despite his comments, churchgoers are in a forgiving mood.

Jennifer Aitken, Valley Hope children’s director, organized today’s meeting. She reluctantly confirms that FEMA was here.

“I’ve seen FEMA do things, but I’ve also seen our church and churches across the county just take care of the people around them,” she says. “We still don’t have clean water to drink, but we will get through this.”

She won’t say how she’ll vote in the election, but if everyone else here is anything to go by, Trump’s FEMA lie won’t hurt his chances here.

“All I care about right now is that the people in my community know that Jesus loves them and that we as a church are there for them,” she says.

Erin Hutchens, who drove several hours from Mooresville with her family and her church to support Swannanoa, is less reserved.

She points to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, which help restore communications, as an important example of how the community has received assistance. “I am a Trump supporter,” she says confidently. “I am grateful for everything he has done, especially his contribution to bringing Starlink here.”

She acknowledges Trump’s mistakes, but remains loyal and undeterred by his controversies. “It’s all about doing business with him, making sure people are taken care of no matter what. I think deep down he is a caring person.

About 30 miles (48 kilometers) away, in Hendersonville, another North Carolina city, the water has largely receded, leaving only a few visible signs of the storm’s damage. An uprooted tree at the Henderson County Courthouse is a reminder of the hurricane’s power

Becky Banadyga owns and runs Sherman’s Ports and Army store, which first opened its doors in 1922 to provide the local community with an extensive selection of outdoor clothing, camping equipment and hiking boots.

“Main Street reopened quickly,” she notes, explaining that the city’s plateau prevented the worst of the flooding. However, the power outages lasted for days, leaving residents without power.

“The power in my house was out for eleven days. We had no television, so no advertising for the elections. That was actually quite fun.”

When asked about Trump’s claims regarding FEMA, Becky dismisses them. “We were lucky,” she says. “A lot of churches, FEMA and individuals all came out to help.” Initially reluctant to discuss her voting plans, Becky hints at her views with a subtle criticism of Trump’s comments. “Put it this way,” she adds, “as a woman with abortion on the cards, it won’t be Trump.”

Becky is a rarity Kamala Harris supporter in the mountains. But while rural and religious votes are moving significantly toward Trump, the picture is somewhat different in urban areas.

The largest city in North Carolina is Charlotte, with a population of just under 900,000. Known as the Queen’s City, it is named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III at the time of the city’s founding.

The energy is palpable as a mile-long line of people waits for a meetingBarack Obama. Harris’ supporters here are energetic but nervous because they know how close the race is.

Karen Sevilla is among those lining up to see another rip-roaring speech from Obama.

“I know the world wants Kamala to be president, except the dictatorships,” she says. “Anyone who starts an uprising should not be in charge of a country.”

But while that may make sense to her, Karen and her new-found “line buddies” are voting in a state where the latest polls show a dead heat among the contenders, and that worries her.

“I’m terrified,” she says. “This is the most important election in generations. We can’t have that imbecile back in the White House. He is out of control, he has no character, no ethics.”

“I’m afraid he will come back to power. It will be devastating for this country and devastating for the world.”

Nearby, friends Queen Keisha and Marva Short echo the concerns. “I volunteer for the Democratic campaign, and it’s very close,” Keisha says. “That is why we are working hard to get Kamala across the line. I’m worried, I’m very worried.”

Marva adds: “I change from day to day, sometimes minute to minute. It’s so close. I’ve been trying to bring people to Kamala, especially my male friends, who are harder to convince.

As Marva talks, she is surprised to see one of Trump acolyte Elon Musk’s unique-looking Cybertrucks driving down the line into the conference center with two Harris/Waltz flags.

While Harris campaigns in North Carolina’s state capital, Raleigh, thousands of country music fans arrive in Charlotte for a hurricane benefit concert that fills the nearby American football stadium.

Many of these attendees, largely from rural, predominantly white areas, support Trump, and some still believe his 2020 election loss was illegitimate. “Trump all the way, my man,” said Scott Lacelt, a concertgoer looking forward to seeing Harris-supporting artists James Taylor and Cheryl Crow perform. “He was robbed of the election last time, and we can’t let that happen again.”

In Raleigh, many residents are just as politically charged.

The city’s bohemian atmosphere and support for Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz are evident in the storefronts and cafes where campaign posters hang.

In the Raleigh Timesa former newspaper office turned pub, a customer says to bartender Maddie on the Harris/Waltz poster in the window. “Thanks,” she replies. “Make sure you vote to put the right person in the White House.”

Outside the pub, Jaidyn McCallop and her friend Taitum James, two young African-American women, express their concerns about the outcome of the election. They are both recent college graduates and concerned about the implications of another Trump term, especially regarding abortion rights.

“Why should someone be forced into an unwanted pregnancy?” Jaidyn asks. “That makes no sense.” Taitum agrees, adding that it would be personally meaningful to see Harris, a woman of color, in the White House. “We didn’t grow up seeing someone who looked like us in power,” she says. “Having Kamala as president would show that America is moving in the right direction, not back to the past.”

This would be bigger for us than Obama. She’s a woman. It would be really big and show that America is actually going in the right direction, and not back to the past.”

There are strong passions for both candidates in North Carolina, and with less than a week to go before the polls open, it won’t be much longer before half of this beautiful state is destroyed, but this time by a political storm.