But on Wednesday, Comer – who represents Kentucky’s 1st District and is the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee – accompanied President Joe Biden during his trip to Kentucky to survey. damage after a deadly tornado.
Comer’s congressional district includes Mayfield and Dawson Springs – two towns the President visited, where tornadoes have ripped through residential areas, destroying homes and businesses.
The appearance of a Republican congressman alongside a Democratic President marked a rare moment to put politics aside. The moment was fueled by tragedy, with at least 71 people dying in the state due to extreme weather last weekend.
During his speech in Dawson Springs, Biden briefly thanked the congressman for giving him a “passport” to his county.
Biden also reaffirmed his frequent calls for unity throughout the trip, saying, “People involuntarily come to help as a community, and that’s what America is supposed to be. .”
“There was no red tornado or blue tornado. There was no red state or blue state when this started happening. And I think, at least in my experience, it brings people with each other or really knock them out,” he continued.
Comer said in a statement to CNN after Wednesday’s trip that he “returned to the ground in Western Kentucky to further assess the damage caused by this devastating storm.”
“I have been following up on productive conversations with local officials and forwarded inquiries regarding needs for Congressional District 1 directly to the President,” the congressman added. “Over the coming days, my office will continue to work to help our voters navigate the disaster relief programs available to them at a time of great need.”
Kentucky’s entire congressional delegation, which has only one Democrat, has been invited to accompany the president, according to the White House.
The county commissioner represents Republicans. Voters in the state chose Trump in the 2020 presidential race, and Comer County has been represented by Republican members of Congress for more than 25 years.
Unfortunately, tragedy can be a rare unifying force in politics. And though relatively trivial alongside death and destruction, those moments of gratification can have political consequences.
Notably, then-Republican Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie praised President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in 2012 in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Christie’s praise, along with photos of Obama resting his hand on the governor’s shoulder, became a political trend among opponents within his own party, including the party’s eventual leader.
During a presidential rally in 2015, then-GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said he thought his opponent “will vote for Obama” when he saw the image.
“I don’t call it a hug, I call it a mental hug. It was like – unbelievable,” Trump continued. “He was like a little boy: ‘Oh, I’m with the President.’ Remember how he flew in the helicopter and was all excited to be in the helicopter? “
“I’m not saying it was difficult to prepare, I would say that the President just wanted to send a clear message and stand with people in these communities as they go through this difficult time,” she said.
This story has been updated with comment from Congressman James Comer.
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