President Donald Trump is visiting North Carolina Friday for one of his first trips of his second term. Follow along here for live coverage.

The visit will focus on assessing the ongoing recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

The president cited the disasters during his inauguration speech Monday as examples of an insufficient federal response to communities in need.

Later, the Trumps will travel to southern California, which has been rocked by brutal wildfires. The president has threatened to withhold relief from California if it doesn't reroute water to the southern part of the state.

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina - President Donald Trump's first trip since the start of his second term is set for Friday and is set to include stops in storm-ravaged North Carolina, wildfire-stricken California and a campaign-style event in Nevada.

Trump says he’ll have Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley working on hurricane relief matters instead of using the Federal Emergency Management Agency

President Trump wants states to have more control over disaster recovery efforts and suggested he would condition federal assistance to California after the fires on the state toughening its voter identification requirements.

Donald Trump, who has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene, which struck North Carolina in September 2024, said that he would like to see states assume more responsibility in the aftermath of natural disasters, rather than the federal government.

In North Carolina, the president pledged “the support that you need to quickly recover and rebuild” after a hurricane. His message to fire-ravaged California had a different tone.

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority has previously estimated that the impact of lost visitors after Helene could lead to a $584 million loss in revenue.