Just days after he returned to office in January 2025, President Donald Trump made Michael Whatley the ‘recovery czar’ for western North Carolina.
However, a public records request by the Asheville Citizen Times shows that the amount of time Whatley spent on Helene recovery over the course of a year… wasn’t a lot.
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Watch the full video from C&P’s Dylan Rhoney to get the full story. For more on the 2026 elections in North Carolina, including important dates, how-to guides on voting, and the latest news, check out Cardinal & Pine’s 2026 Voter Hub.
