Hurricane devastation in the South is being politicized, Biden labels Trump a liar.

The unimaginable devastation that struck western North Carolina over the weekend was largely misreported by television news.

Officials assumed that Hurricane Helene would lose strength after it made landfall in Florida and headed inland. However, cities like Asheville and eastern Tennessee were hit with an almost biblical level of flooding, leaving a trail of impassable roads and collapsed bridges.

Why was this not the lead story everywhere?

The coastal media elites often overlook North Carolina, treating it as insignificant and unworthy of attention. Few news organizations have a reporter stationed there.

President Biden issued statements over the weekend, which contributed to the perception that the current crisis was not as severe as Katrina. I visited New Orleans eight months after the 2005 hurricane and was shocked to see miles of suburban homes destroyed by flooding.

If the same level of flooding occurred in northern New Jersey, just across from Manhattan, there would have been 500 times more media coverage. In reality, we experienced this scenario with Superstorm Sandy, which received immense attention from the media.

Few shows had their B teams in, with many taking charge and ordering a full-scale mobilization on the story.

As I was about to go on air, my guest Mary Katharine Ham from North Carolina texted me an hour beforehand and urged me to cover a story that was being largely overlooked. Despite the packed schedule, I allowed her a few minutes to discuss it on "Media Buzz."

Perhaps realizing that they looked terrible, TV outlets shifted their focus to the plight of North Carolina and started constant coverage of the disaster. However, their journalists faced the challenge of getting to a mountainous region that was isolated and in some towns all but wiped out.

The New York Times and Washington Post excelled in publishing numerous front-page stories about Asheville, a town known for its arts scene, which was severely impacted by devastating floods.

At least 37 people died in the region due to the storm, leaving communities without water, food, power, gasoline, and cellphone service.

Early Friday morning, Doris Towers was awakened by the beeping of her husband's dialysis machine, which had lost power. Her neighbor's Christmas lights, still up from the previous year, had gone out. These were the first indications of the destruction that Helene would bring. Doris had not been aware that a storm was approaching.

"In Swannanoa, Joe Dancy and Jenna Shaw woke up early to take their dog for a walk, only to see floodwaters approaching their home. An hour later, they were rescued by a National Guard soldier as they climbed out a window."

Biden, who is visiting North Carolina today, addressed the nation on Monday morning with his trademark empathy, assuring every survivor in the affected areas that the government will be there to support them for as long as it takes.

The president, who was coughing due to a cold, should have given the speech on Sunday. This would have motivated the journalists to act, as they typically follow the White House, and instead conveyed the impression that no one was in charge.

In Valdosta, Ga., a shelter was visited by Donald Trump, who read from his notes.

"Our country is in the final weeks of a hard-fought national election. However, when a crisis occurs and our fellow citizens require assistance, we must put aside politics and work together to resolve the issue."

Trump, in collaboration with Franklin Graham, son of Rev. Billy, who leads a Christian aid organization, provided an abundance of supplies.

The former president didn't remain on the high road for long. He claimed that Biden and Harris had abandoned Americans in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and other southern states.

FEMA officials have been working tirelessly, with over 3,300 federal agents on the ground, and Harris canceled several events to return to Washington for a briefing from agency chief Deanne Criswell, where he spoke about the "devastating" losses.

Trump asserted that Kemp was unable to contact Biden, but Kemp stated that he had spoken with the president and appreciated his offer to call him directly if needed.

""I don't know why he does this. I don't care what he says about me. I care about what he communicates to people that are in need. He implies that we're not doing everything possible. We are," Biden said, addressing the governor's false accusations."

Trump made a claim, without evidence, that the Biden-Harris administration is intentionally not assisting Republicans in red counties.

It was inevitable that the crisis, which has devastated many southern states, would be politicized. And I'm glad that cable news, which had largely ignored the issue over the weekend, is now focusing on the coverage.