Washington
CNN
—
Former President Donald Trump has delivered a barrage of lies and distortions in regards to the federal response to Hurricane Helene.
Whereas numerous misinformation about the response has unfold extensively with out Trump’s involvement, the Republican presidential nominee has been one of many nation’s main deceivers on the topic. Over a span of six days, in public feedback and social media posts, Trump has used his highly effective megaphone to endorse or invent false or unsubstantiated claims.
The chief targets of his hurricane-related dishonesty have been Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent within the November presidential election, and President Joe Biden.
Monday: Trump falsely claims Biden hasn’t answered calls from Georgia’s governor
Throughout a go to to Georgia on Monday, Trump said of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp: “He’s been calling the president, hasn’t been capable of get him.”
It was instantly clear that Trump’s declare was false. Kemp, a Republican, told reporters earlier Monday that he had spoken with Biden the day prior — and that it was Kemp who had initially missed a name from Biden, not the opposite means round.
Kemp instructed reporters that he had efficiently known as Biden proper again. Kemp added: “He simply mentioned, ‘Hey, what do you want?’ And I instructed him, you understand, ‘We received what we want. We’ll work by way of the federal course of.’ He supplied that if there’s different issues we want, simply to name him instantly, which — I recognize that. However we’ve had FEMA embedded with us since a day or two earlier than the storm hit in our state operations middle in Atlanta; we’ve received an ideal relationship with them.”
Monday: Trump cites baseless ‘reviews’ about anti-Republican bias within the North Carolina response
In a social media post on Monday, Trump mentioned of North Carolina: “I’ll be there shortly, however don’t just like the reviews that I’m getting in regards to the Federal Authorities, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their method to not assist folks in Republican areas.”
It’s unclear what “reviews” Trump might need been getting, however there was no obvious foundation for the underlying declare that the Biden administration and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper had been maliciously abandoning sure communities out of partisan bias.
Trump provided no evidence when a reporter pressed him later within the day.
Thursday: Trump falsely claims the Biden-Harris response had acquired ‘universally’ destructive opinions
Trump wrote in a social media publish on Thursday that Biden and Harris “are universally being given POOR GRADES for the way in which that they’re dealing with the Hurricane, particularly in North Carolina.”
That wasn’t even close to accurate. Although the Biden administration’s response had definitely acquired criticism, it had additionally been praised by numerous state and native leaders — together with the Republican governors of a few of the affected states and the Democratic governor of North Carolina, plus native leaders together with the Democratic mayor of the hard-hit North Carolina metropolis of Asheville.
For instance, Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said at a Tuesday press convention that federal help had “been excellent,” noting that Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had each known as and instructed him to allow them to know regardless of the state wanted. McMaster additionally mentioned FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell had known as.
Thursday: Trump falsely claims Harris spent ‘all her FEMA cash’ on housing unlawful migrants
At a marketing campaign rally in Michigan on Thursday, Trump claimed that “Kamala spent all her FEMA cash, billions of {dollars}, on housing for unlawful migrants, lots of whom shouldn’t be in our nation.” He added in an election-related conspiracy idea, saying, “They stole the FEMA cash, identical to they stole it from a financial institution, so they might give it to their unlawful immigrants that they need to have vote for them this season.”
That is false.
First, there may be zero foundation for Trump’s suggestion that the Biden administration is operating some kind of scheme to get undocumented immigrants to vote illegally within the 2024 election. Voting by noncitizens is a felony.
Second, there may be zero foundation for claiming that FEMA catastrophe help cash was stolen — by anybody, not to mention Harris personally — for the housing of migrants.
Congress appropriated $650 million within the 2024 fiscal 12 months to fund a program that helps state and native governments home migrants — and instructed US Customs and Border Safety to switch that $650 million to FEMA to manage this system. However this $650 million pot is entirely distinct from FEMA’s pot of catastrophe reduction funds; because the Department of Homeland Security, the White House and unbiased observers famous this week, they’re simply two separate issues funded individually by Congress.
Congress appropriated greater than $35 billion in catastrophe reduction funds for fiscal 2024, in response to official FEMA statistics.
Friday: Trump falsely claims $1 billion was ‘stolen’ from FEMA for migrants and has gone ‘lacking’
Although Trump’s Thursday declare about FEMA cash and migrants had already been debunked by Friday, Trump repeated the claim to reporters at the least twice on Friday — after which mentioned it again at a Friday evening city corridor occasion in North Carolina.
Saturday: Trump falsely claims the federal authorities is barely giving $750 to individuals who misplaced their houses
At a marketing campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump strongly urged that Individuals who misplaced their houses within the hurricane had been solely being supplied $750 in federal help.
“They’re providing them $750, to folks whose houses have been washed away. And but we ship tens of billions of {dollars} to international nations that most individuals have by no means heard of. They’re providing them $750. They’ve been destroyed, these folks have been destroyed,” Trump said. He added, “Consider it: We give international nations tons of of billions of {dollars} and we’re handing North Carolina $750.”
Trump’s declare is improper. As FEMA defined earlier within the week on social media and on a web page it created to fight misinformation in regards to the response, $750 is merely the fast, upfront help survivors can get to cowl primary, urgent wants like meals, water, child components and emergency provides. Survivors are additionally eligible to use for added types of help, comparable to to pay for short-term housing and residential repairs, that may be value 1000’s of {dollars}; the current maximum amount for home repair assistance, for example, is $42,500.
Throughout Harris’ go to to Georgia on Wednesday, she said, “And the federal reduction and help that we have now been offering has included FEMA offering $750 for folk who want fast wants being met, comparable to meals, child components, and the like. And you’ll apply now.” However she added simply moments later, “FEMA can be offering tens of 1000’s extra {dollars} for folk to assist them be capable to cope with residence restore, to have the ability to cowl a deductible when and if they’ve insurance coverage, and in addition resort prices.”
It’s additionally value noting that this hurricane-related help to particular person residents is separate from the hurricane-related help the federal authorities will present to state governments. For instance, the federal transportation division announced Saturday that it was instantly offering $100 million to North Carolina’s transportation division “to assist pay for the prices of fast emergency work ensuing from Hurricane Helene flood harm.” Buttigieg added that this emergency funding “shall be adopted by extra federal sources.”
Saturday: Trump falsely claims there are ‘no helicopters, no rescue’ in North Carolina
Trump, criticizing Harris for participating in a political fundraising occasion in California the final weekend of September, said on the Saturday rally in Pennsylvania: “Kamala wined and dined in San Francisco, and the entire folks in North Carolina — no helicopters, no rescue — it’s simply — what’s occurred there may be very unhealthy.”
This declare about North Carolina is fake. There have been quite a few authorities and personal helicopters and different plane concerned in rescue and help efforts in North Carolina, although some residents died earlier than they could possibly be rescued and a major variety of residents have remained missing or stranded for days.
The North Carolina Nationwide Guard announced Thursday that its personal air property had “accomplished 146 flight missions, ensuing within the rescue of 538 folks and 150 pets.” The Washington Put up reported Friday: “The drone of helicopters has change into routine throughout western North Carolina within the wake of Helene. Nationwide Guard and civilian plane now crisscross the skies of a area the place roads and bridges have been destroyed and persons are trapped. The helicopters are delivering provides, choosing up individuals who want rescuing, dropping off firefighters and search-and-rescue crews and radioing for help for others who might be extra simply accessed from the bottom.“
CNN reported Saturday that air site visitors over western North Carolina had elevated 300% over the previous seven days as a consequence of hurricane reduction efforts, in response to Becca Gallas, director of North Carolina’s Division of Aviation. The state said in an official replace Saturday: “A complete of 53 search and rescue groups from North Carolina and past, consisting of greater than 1,600 personnel have carried out search and rescue operations throughout this occasion. Search and rescue groups have interacted with over 5,400 folks, together with assists, evacuations and rescues.”