President Biden announced Monday that he would visit North Carolina on Wednesday after Hurricane Helene devastated the state.

The president's announcement came after critics accused him of lacking leadership skills following the devastating impact of the monster storm on the southeastern part of the country.

More than 120 people have been killed by Helene since the hurricane hit Florida late Thursday and then cut a path of destruction through the interior southeast.

The storm caused millions of power outages and billions of dollars in property damage as it swept through the southern Appalachians and into the Tennessee Valley.

ASHEVILLE RESIDENTS BATTLE the “apocalyptic” aftermath of Hurricane Helene after deadly floods and landslides

Although days have passed since the storm hit the region, Biden has not yet visited the area nor had any plans to do so.

“On Wednesday I'm traveling to North Carolina for a meeting at the State Emergency Operations Center and to take an aerial tour of Asheville,” Biden said in a post on X. “I've made sure my trip won't interfere with that.” I plan to , to travel to Georgia and Florida as soon as possible.

But the president's announcement was followed by sharp criticism from the public, with one person writing: “Joe Biden's visit is too little, too late.”

Another person wrote: “Don’t come to Florida, we’ve hit rock bottom. The governor covers it,” referring to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Still, several people wrote that Biden was only visiting because former President Trump had already gone to the areas damaged by Helene.

Biden gets defensive when pressed on who will “command” the response to Hurricane Helene.

President Biden speaks to the media before boarding Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Sept. 29, 2024. (REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden)

Trump stopped in Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday, where he was briefed on the devastation caused by the storm, but he also helped distribute aid and delivered remarks.

“I came to Valdosta with large semi-trucks, many of which were filled with relief supplies. A tanker full of gas, a couple of big tankers full of gas that they can't get now. And we will. “We will work to spread it out throughout the day,” Trump said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for more information about the president's visit to North Carolina this week.

HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: HURRICANE HELENE IN THE EYE OF THE CAMPAIGN STORM

A van drifts in floodwaters near Biltmore Village following Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, NC (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

During a news conference on the federal response to Hurricane Helene on Monday, Biden promised to visit some of the most devastated areas.

At the end of the press conference, he became defensive when a reporter pressed him about who was in command of the weekend's hurricane response while he was spending the weekend at his beach house in Delaware.

The reporter shouted as the President left the Roosevelt Room: “Mr. President, why didn't you and Vice President Harris call the shots here in Washington this weekend?”

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Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, North Carolina (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

In response, Biden said he was in charge and said he was on the phone for “at least two hours” on Sunday and the day before.

North Carolina and Georgia were among the hardest hit states. They are also two of the seven key battleground states where razor-thin votes decided Biden's victory over Trump in the 2020 presidential election and are expected to decide the outcome of the 2024 showdown between Harris, the Democratic nominee, and Trump.

Beginning his remarks during the press conference earlier in the day, Biden assured that he and his team were in “constant contact with governors, mayors and local leaders” regarding Hurricane Helene.

The president noted that Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell was on the ground in North Carolina and would remain in the Asheville area.

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