Western North Carolina is trying to pick up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Helene, which decimated the region, leaving communities destroyed and a death toll in the triple digits. This is not a situation to capitalize on for political gain. But Donald Trump has politicized the situation, spreading falsehoods and conspiracies that divide the community instead of bringing it together.
Shame on Donald Trump for worsening NC’s Helene tragedy with political lies | Opinion https://t.co/DCmrMsJbJS
— The Charlotte Observer (@theobserver) October 5, 2024
From the Charlotte Observer:
The worst example is a social media post Trump made on Monday, in which he accused the federal government and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas. MAGA!”
That same day, Trump also posted that the Biden administration has “left Americans to drown” in North Carolina and other states.
Then, in an interview with his former adviser Kellyanne Conway, Trump doubled down on his claim, saying the government is “going out of their way to hurt” Trump voters in Western North Carolina
Trump has also said that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp couldn’t get President Joe Biden on the phone to help his state with hurricane relief — a claim that Kemp himself debunked — and falsely claimed that the government doesn’t have enough money to respond to the disaster because “Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants.”
There’s no evidence to support any of those ridiculous claims. And by every indication, state and federal agencies have been working to help people in need.
Trump’s Lies About the Hurricane Response Are Getting More Outrageous The former president accused the Biden administration of stealing FEMA funds to support undocumented migrants. More: https://t.co/8i6wUlsGBS pic.twitter.com/RRIpBtPPdz
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) October 3, 2024
The op-ed (which also appears in the Raleigh News & Observer) goes on to note that food and other supplies have been and still are being airlifted to affected areas; assistance is being provided to people who lost their homes; and work is ongoing to clear and repair roads and other infrastructure.. Just yesterday in Pennsylvania, Trump falsely claimed the government will only provide flooding victims $750 “and yet they send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of.” Fact-check: The $750 figure is an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies. Hurricane victims can still qualify for tens of thousands more in federal relief. Here’s an article listing the rumors and reality of ongoing relief efforts. While it may not be achieved overnight – as this was the worst hurricane to hit the U.S. in decades – the people of North Carolina have not been abandoned. In addition to Gov. Roy Cooper (D) of North Carolina, the GOP governors of Georgia and South Carolina have expressed satisfaction with the federal response.
Helene fact check: Here are the rumors and the reality in Western North Carolina https://t.co/j9nNzzRnK7
— The News & Observer (@newsobserver) October 5, 2024
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