Appearing on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” this week, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein made the appeal for viewers to visit western North Carolina as the region rebuilds after Hurricane Helene.
Stein encouraged visitors to spend time and money in western North Carolina — noting Colbert’s love of fishing in the area.
“Everybody should go to western North Carolina this summer. You're going to absolutely love it. And you'll help the state at the same time,” Colbert, who spent some of his childhood in Charleston, said.
The pair also gave a shout-out to Mud Dabbers Pottery shop near Brevard.
Then Colbert asked the governor about FEMA:
“ The Trump administration has considered eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Now, as a governor in a state that relies on FEMA, what happens to states in times of crisis like this if FEMA is eliminated or even downsized?” he asked.
Stein told him that it would be chaotic.
“There was no transportation, no communications, no water, no electricity, houses destroyed, businesses washed away, trees on top of people's properties. If a state has to create a fresh, an entire emergency response, it is not going to work,” he said.
The two discussed the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which would cut taxes and increase spending on border control and the military. It also scales back spending on Medicaid and health care programs for low-income, elderly and disabled Americans.
“ There is no question that if this bill, it's a bad bill, it's an ugly bill. If it goes forward as it's written, hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians will lose their health insurance,” Stein said.
The bill is currently being reviewed by the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate. Stein encouraged people to call their senators to voice their opinions on the bill.
