President Biden lashed out repeatedly Wednesday at former President Donald Trump and other Republicans who he accused of undercutting the response effort by promoting conspiracy theories and “outright lies.”
At an administration briefing on preparations for Hurricane Milton — which Biden warned is “looking like the storm of the century” — the president urged the people of Florida to follow all safety instructions and said he and his team have done all they could to prepare for the approaching tempest.
He then blasted the Republican claims about the Helene response. “Over the last few weeks, there has been a reckless, irresponsible, and relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies that are disturbing people,” Biden said. “It’s undermining confidence in the incredible rescue and recovery work that has already been taken and will continue to be taken, and it’s harmful to those who need help the most.”
Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have for days lobbed accusations about the federal response that have been met with pushback from officials across all levels of government. In a social media post on Monday, Trump wrote: “The GREAT people of North Carolina are being stood up by Harris and Biden, who are giving almost all of the FEMA money to Illegal Migrants in what is now considered to be the WORST rescue operation in the history of the U.S.” The former president has also claimed that storm victims had been told they would receive only $750.
Biden on Wednesday went after Trump and those allegations directly. “Former President Trump has led this onslaught of lies,” he said. “Assertions have been made that property is being confiscated. That’s simply not true. They’re saying people impacted by these storms will receive $750 in cash and no more. That’s simply not true. They’re saying the money needed to — for this crisis is being diverted to migrants. What a ridiculous thing to say. It’s not true.”
In remarks delivered from the White House later in the day, Biden repeated a similar message, adding that the lies are “un-American” and that claims that money needed for hurricane relief has been diverted to migrants are outrageous and untrue.
Biden also called out Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. She had claimed on social media last week that “they” — apparently referring to the government — “can control the weather.” Biden called those claims “even more bizarre” than Trump’s and “beyond ridiculous.”
“It’s got to stop,” he added. “In moments like this, there are no red or blue states. There’s one United States of America, where neighbors are helping neighbors; volunteers and first responders are risking everything, including their own lives, to help their fellow Americans; state, local, and federal officials are standing side by side.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas insisted Wednesday that FEMA has the resources it needs to respond to both hurricanes, but warned that misinformation is causing victims of Helene to avoid seeking the help they could get.
Some Republican officials have also sought to dispel the false claims and conspiracy theories. North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards, whose district was hit by Helene, posted a list of eight “outrageous rumors” he wanted to correct. Among his points:
- “Hurricane Helene was NOT geoengineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock.”
- “FEMA has NOT diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid.”
- “FEMA is NOT going to run out of money.”
- “FEMA cannot seize your property or land.”
- “FEMA is NOT only providing $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery.”
Edwards ended his post with a reminder to his constituents. “I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X, or any other social media platform is not always fact,” he wrote. “Please make sure you are fact checking what you read online with a reputable source.”
