(Editor's Note: The following opinion column does not constitute an endorsement of any political party, or candidate, on the part of Newsmax.)
We’re just now beginning the first full week of October, and the Harris-Walz campaign has already been hit with an October surprise.
Although such events are typically sprung by the opposing party, this one was launched by the Democrats upon themselves.
The most accurate test of any chief executive is how he or she responds under pressure.
Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris failed miserably and publicly in her response to Hurricane Helene.
As the storm left a multi-state path of death and destruction, President Joe Biden napped on the beach, and Vice President Harris partied at several California fundraisers.
And government response only got worse after that.
It soon became obvious that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for offering relief to disaster victims, was becoming broke.
In fact, they claimed they ran out of money in August — in the middle of hurricane season. And now Hurricane Milton is slowly making its way to the Florida Gulf coast — possibly making landfall in the Tampa Bay area.
People wondered how FEMA could be broke in August. Former President Donald Trump answered that question late last week.
"Kamala spent all her FEMA money," Trump alleged Thursday.
"Billions of dollars on housing for illegal migrants, many of whom should not be in your country, including $1 billion for gift cards for illegal aliens and putting them up in luxury hotels with a gift card to welcome them to America as our veterans are sleeping on the sidewalks below those hotels."
The White House tried to nip that allegation in the bud the following day.
"It’s just categorically false," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said at the Friday daily briefing. "No, Biden did not take FEMA relief money to use on migrants."
But two years earlier the same Karine Jean-Pierre was singing a different tune.
"So FEMA regional administrators have been meeting with city officials on site to coordinate available federal support from FEMA and other federal agencies," she said at a September 2022 briefing.
"Funding is also available through FEMA’s emergency food and shelter program to eligible local government and not-for-profit organizations upon request to support humanitarian relief for migrants."
And FEMA increased its financial support of illegal immigration.
The agency allocated $364 million in 2023 and $650 million this year to its Shelter and Services Program (SSP) particularly directed to provide "humanitarian services" to criminal aliens.
Harris eventually made it to storm-stricken Georgia, where she announced at a press briefing that FEMA funds would be available to families who had lost everything.
"The federal relief and assistance that we have been providing has included FEMA providing $750 for folks who need immediate needs being met," she said.
Wow! All they have to do is apply and who knows? They could be $750 richer!
That was Wednesday. Three days later Harris announced a more substantial aid package.
"The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation," she said. "I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there."
At least one person wondered if she was referring to Lebanon Township in North Carolina. She wasn’t. She meant Lebanon the country, where the mean ol’ Israelis were killing those innocent Hezbollah terrorists.
Then Harris got to specifics.
"To that end, the United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon for essential needs such as food, shelter, water, protection, and sanitation to help those who have been displaced by the recent conflict. This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million."
Meanwhile, as of Saturday evening, the death toll from Helene rose to 227 across six states, and hundreds more remain unaccounted for. But U.S. citizens who have lost all they had can get up to $750.
Multi-award winning actor James Woods summed up Harris’ tone deaf Lebanon announcement better than most.
"This has to be fake," he said. "Even Kamala Harris, the gold standard of stupid, isn’t stupid enough to post this. Certainly not while North Carolinians are pulling the bodies of their neighbors from the wreckage. It’s simply inconceivable."
This year’s October surprise has arrived in the form of Harris’ own stupidity.
With any luck it’ll be sufficient to overcome the cheating Democrats are typically known for and become the straw breaking the back of Kamala’s nonsense, prompting undecided voters to Walz right over to the Trump-Vance team.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.