Evaluating Truthful Claims: Trump's Six-Day Salvo of Misstatements Regarding Hurricane Helene's Handling
While numerous unfounded rumors regarding the Hurricane response have circulated without Trump's involvement, the American Republican presidential nominee has emerged as one of the nation's prominent spreaders of inaccuracies on this topic. Over a period of six days, in both public statements and social media posts, Trump has amplified or fabricated unproven or unsubstantiated claims.
The main recipients of Trump's hurricane-related dishonesty have been Vice President Kamala Harris, his November election opponent, and President Joe Biden.
Monday: Trump erroneously asserts that Biden hasn’t answered calls from Georgia’s governor
During a Georgia visit on Monday, Trump stated that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp: "Hasn't been able to get him."
It was evident that Trump's assertion was untrue. Kemp, a Republican, told reporters earlier on Monday that he had communicated with Biden the previous day, with Kemp himself missing a call from Biden, not the other way around.
Kemp informed reporters that he had swiftly returned Biden's call. Kemp further commented, "He just said, ‘Hey, what do you need?’ And I told him, you know, ‘We’ve got what we need. We’ll work through the federal process.’ He offered that if there’s other things we need, just to call him directly, which — I appreciate that. But we’ve had FEMA embedded with us since a day or two before the storm hit in our state operations center in Atlanta; we’ve got a great relationship with them.”
Monday: Trump cites unsubstantiated ‘reports’ about Democratic bias in the North Carolina response
In a Monday social media post, Trump suggested of North Carolina, "I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas."
It remains uncertain what "reports" Trump may have been referring to, but the underlying claim that the Biden administration and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper were intentionally neglecting specific communities due to partisan reasons lacked justification. Trump failed to provide evidence when a journalist pressed him later in the day.
Thursday: Trump falsely claims the Biden-Harris response received 'universally' poor reviews
In a Thursday social media post, Trump claimed that Biden and Harris "are universally being given POOR GRADES for the way that they are handling the Hurricane, especially in North Carolina."
This was far from the truth.
Although the Biden administration's response had received criticism, it had also received praise from various state and local leaders, such as Republican governors of some affected states and democratically elected North Carolina's governor, along with local leaders like the Democratic mayor of Asheville, North Carolina.
For example, Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster stated at a Tuesday press conference that federal assistance had "been superb," noting that Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had both contacted him to inquire about what the state needed. McMaster further reported that FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell had also contacted him.
Thursday: Trump falsely claims Harris spent 'all her FEMA money' on housing illegal migrants
At a Michigan campaign rally on Thursday, Trump claimed, "Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants, many of whom should not be in our country." He added, "They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank, so they could give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season."
This is incorrect.
First, there's no evidence to show that the Biden administration is partaking in any sort of scheme to get undocumented immigrants to illegally vote in the 2024 election. Voting by non-citizens is a felony.
Second, there's no evidence to suggest that FEMA disaster assistance money was misappropriated — by anyone, let alone Harris personally — for migrant housing.
The $650 million Congress allocated in 2024 fiscal year for housing migrants, which they instructed US Customs and Border Protection to transfer to FEMA to oversee, is a separate pot from FEMA's disaster relief funds. As the Department of Homeland Security, White House, and independent observers stated this week, these are two distinct sums funded by separate Congressional allocations.
Congress allocated over $35 billion in disaster relief funds for fiscal 2024, according to official FEMA statistics.
Friday: Trump falsely claims $1 billion was 'stolen' from FEMA for migrants and has gone 'missing'
Despite Trump's Thursday assertion regarding FEMA money and migrants having been debunked by Friday, Trump repeated the claim to reporters at least twice by Friday and made the same statement at a Friday night North Carolina town hall event.
Saturday: Trump falsely claims the federal government is only providing $750 in aid to people who lost their homes
At a Pennsylvania campaign rally on Saturday, Trump strongly suggested that Americans who lost their homes due to the hurricane would only receive $750 in federal aid.
“They’re offering them $750, to people whose homes have been washed away. And yet we send billions of dollars to countries that many people have never heard of. They’re offering them $750. They’ve been destroyed, these people have been destroyed,” Trump declared. He added, "Think about it: We give foreign countries hundreds of billions of dollars and we’re handing North Carolina $750.”
Here's the paraphrased version of the text:
Trump's statement is not accurate. FEMA detailed earlier in the week, both on their social media platforms and a dedicated website set up to combat misinformation, that the initial, immediate assistance of $750 is solely for meeting survivors' urgent necessities such as food, water, infant formula, and essential supplies. Survivors are also entitled to apply for additional support, like temporary housing costs and home repairs, which can amount to thousands of dollars; for instance, the maximum grant for home repair at present is $42,500.
At her Georgia visit on Wednesday, Harris mentioned, “The federal aid and assistance we have offered has included FEMA providing $750 to individuals who need immediate necessities covered, like food, baby formula, and so on. You can apply now.” She subsequently added, “Besides this, FEMA is also providing funds in the tens of thousands to assist with home repairs, deductibles in the event of insurance, and hotel expenses.”
It's important to note that the aid for hurricane-affected residents is distinct from the financial aid the federal government will provide to state governments. On Saturday, for instance, the Department of Transportation declared they would instantly yield $100 million to North Carolina's Department of Transportation to help pay for the expenses of immediate emergency work due to Hurricane Helene damage. Buttigieg stated that this emergency funding would be followed by further federal resources.
On Saturday: Trump spreads misinformation about North Carolina saying there are ‘no helicopters, no rescue’
Trump criticized Harris for attending a political fundraising event in California during the last weekend of September. At the Saturday rally in Pennsylvania, he stated, “Kamala had a lavish dinner in San Francisco, while all the people in North Carolina - no helicopters, no rescue - it's just awful.”
This claim about North Carolina is not factual. There have been numerous government and private helicopters and aircraft taking part in rescue and aid operations in North Carolina, although some residents lost their lives before being rescued and a large number of residents have remained missing or stranded for days.
The North Carolina National Guard declared on Thursday that their own air assets had executed 146 flight missions, saving 538 people and 150 pets. The Washington Post reported on Friday, “The sound of helicopters has become common in western North Carolina following Helene. National Guard and civilian aircraft now fly across a region where roads and bridges have been destroyed, and people are trapped. The helicopters transport supplies, pick up individuals requiring rescue, and drop off firefighters and search-and-rescue crews, while providing assistance for others accessible from the ground.”
CNN reported on Saturday that air traffic over western North Carolina increased 300% due to hurricane relief efforts, according to Becca Gallas, director of North Carolina’s Division of Aviation. The state stated in an official update on Saturday, “A total of 53 search and rescue teams from North Carolina and beyond, comprising over 1,600 personnel, have carried out search and rescue operations during this event. Search and rescue teams have interacted with over 5,400 people, including assists, evacuations, and rescues.”
Trump continues to spread misleading information about disaster aid, claiming that only $750 is being provided to people who lost their homes during the hurricane, while in reality, FEMA offers immediate necessities up to $750 and provides additional support for thousands of dollars.
In a political rally, Trump falsely accuses Vice President Kamala Harris of neglecting specific communities due to partisan reasons in the North Carolina response, failing to provide evidence for his claims.
