President Donald Trump‘s team built a small brick wall around him for an event at a hurricane-devastated business in Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday.
Trump and his Republican allies visited the city to highlight the damage caused by Hurricane Helene that hit the area as a Category 4 storm.
The former president viewed the damage at the Chez What furniture store, a brick building that was crushed by the storm, scattering bricks all over the ground.
The bricks from the building were used to build a barrier around Trump’s podium, a small structure about three to four feet high.
Trump and his political allies spoke about the storm from behind the wall.
Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse, says a prayer as he accompanies Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a visit to Chez What Furniture Store which was damaged during Hurricane Helene
Chez What Furniture store is seen after being damaged during Hurricane Helene
‘Valdosta has been ravaged the town is very badly hurting and many thousands are without power, they are running low on food and fuel,’ Trump said.
The images of Trump fueled a reaction on social media, as some viewed it as funny and others reacting with disgust.
‘Lmao someone BUILT A WALL around trump in Valdosta from the broken brick building,’ one social media user wrote.
Others were angered that someone wasted time to construct the wall so that Trump could do a ‘photo op.’
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, listens to a question as he visits Chez What Furniture Store which was damaged during Hurricane Helene
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump views the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
‘Trump went to do a photo op at Valdosta, Georgia where they still don’t have power and had to spot recovery efforts for his visit and built him a podium out of bricks from the building behind him smh,’ another user wrote.
The former president took time during his remarks to pause for a moment of prayer and promised to help the communities to rebuild.
‘We’ll emerge stronger, more united and more prosperous than ever before,’ Trump said, adding that he and others would ‘pray to God for those who have been so badly injured’ and ‘those that are no longer with us.’
Pastor Franklin Graham said the obliterated brick building, ‘represents the hundreds of thousands of people that have lost homes businesses, friends and loved ones.’
‘It’s going to take an army of volunteers and people to respond,’ he said.