The federal government’s inefficiency was on full display this week when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted a video that left social media users in disbelief. The clip, which was supposed to highlight CBP’s efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, turned into an unintentional parody of government waste.
In the 20-second video, 14 CBP officers are seen passing a small log down a line, one by one, to move it a mere 30 feet. Accompanied by the caption, “The safety of the American people is our top priority,” the post was meant to reassure the public that the federal government was on top of the disaster response. Instead, it ignited a firestorm of sarcastic comments and critiques of bloated bureaucracy.
Daily Wire’s Senior Editor Cabot Phillips summed up the general sentiment when he tweeted, “I was in Asheville yesterday and saw one 75-year-old veteran carry a log twice this size twice as fast as these 20 government employees.” Other voices, like NewsNation’s Leland Vittert, echoed the frustration: “Is it just me, or is this an insane waste of resources? Put the @cbp officers on the border to stop [fentanyl] and hire some folks with chainsaws—what am I missing?!”
While CBP officers were busy passing logs, Asheville, North Carolina, was still reeling from the far more severe aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, which had devastated the region just three weeks prior. The storm turned peaceful creeks into raging torrents, resulting in at least 95 deaths, with some local reports suggesting the toll may be as high as 125. Nearly 500 roads remained closed, and entire communities were grappling with the kind of destruction statistics alone can’t convey. Homes were lost, and families shattered, yet locals felt abandoned by a national media that had already moved on.
Along with our partners at @FEMA, we will continue with disaster recovery as a result of Hurricane Milton. The safety of the American people is our top priority. pic.twitter.com/l8NfS8dPlc
— CBP (@CBP) October 17, 2024
As Shelly Tygielski, a new Asheville resident, described it: “It’s frustration on top of frustration… [people] don’t really understand the extent.” She wasn’t alone. Asheville resident Matt Van Swol posted a heartfelt video capturing the wreckage of places dear to him: “This is the park where my kids played. The restaurant where I fell in love. It’s a video of Asheville to you, but it’s home to me.” The underlying plea from those affected was simple—don’t forget us.
While the rest of the country laughed at the CBP video, Asheville faced very real challenges. Two young brothers were swept away by floodwaters, taking a week to locate their bodies. Schools were struggling to reopen, with hundreds of students impacted, many now homeless. Yet, as recovery efforts dragged on, a growing number of voices felt left behind—both by the federal response and by a media more interested in viral clips of bureaucratic blunders than the enduring hardships left in the storm’s wake.
The contrast between the CBP’s inefficient log-moving effort and the severe aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene couldn’t be starker. While 14 officers slowly passed a log down the line in a 20-second clip, entire North Carolina communities continued their slow and painful recovery. Political tensions were bubbling up as state leaders bickered over the disaster response, and local residents, many of whom are distrustful of government programs, faced an uncertain future. Immigrant populations hit hard by the storm, likely to receive no federal aid, added another layer of complexity to the crisis.
President @realDonaldTrump did something very important today, when he traveled to western North Carolina to put renewed attention on the victims of Hurricane Helene.
The Craig family lost 11 family members — imagine that.
Megan Drye lost her incredible and wise, 7-year-old… pic.twitter.com/ocQuCiPDVv
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) October 21, 2024
As one social media user wryly observed, “At least now we know it takes 14 CBP officers to move a small log 30 feet. Too bad we still don’t know how many it’ll take to fix the border or help places like Asheville recover.” And as Shelly Tygielski put it, “What I’m seeing here is very different from anything I’ve ever seen.” The contrast between government theater and real-world suffering has rarely been so apparent.
