Trump's first presidential trip shows his 'man of the people' cred after Ohio 'turning point,' WH spox says

Leavitt suggested Trump's visit to Hurricane Helene-ravaged parts of the Great Smoky Mountains and wildfire-torched areas of southern California were a predictable start to a second presidency that was, in part, inspired by a previous trip to visit "forgotten" Americans dealing with tragedy.

"President Trump still talks about his visit to East Palestine, Ohio. That was one of the turning points, I would say, in the previous election campaign where Americans were reminded that President Trump is a man of the people and he, as a candidate, visited that town that was just derailed by the train derailment, no pun intended," Leavitt said.

Trump visited Columbiana County, Ohio, in the wake of the 2023 caustic crisis, and handed out Trump Water and other supplies, while meeting with residents and local leaders.

"[A] red state and a blue state."

The September hurricane caused widespread destruction from Augusta, Georgia, to Damascus, Virginia - notably swelling the banks of the Savannah, Toccoa and Pigeon rivers and wiping out whole communities like Chimney Rock, North Carolina.

A piece of Interstate 40 collapsed into the Pigeon River in Haywood County, North Carolina, and a portion of the crucial U.S. Route 58 artery near Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, remains shut down several months later due to the damage incurred.

Actor Mel Gibson recently gave Fox News Channel a tour of what little remained of his home in Pacific Palisades, California, following this month's wildfires - as innumerable other houses were reduced to their foundations.

"Everyone is putting on a brave face," the "Patriot" star said.