Oct 10, 2024 - Energy & Climate

"Damn un-American": Biden slams Trump for hurricane misinformation

Sareen Habeshian

President Joe Biden gives remarks on the effects of Hurricane Milton during an event in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus on October 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in the Siesta Key a — President Biden gives remarks on the effects of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Biden criticized former President Trump and others on Thursday for spreading misinformation about the federal hurricane response, calling it "bizarre" and "damn un-American."

The big picture: Conspiracy theories rapidly spread online about the aid to hard-hit communities, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency warned this week that the falsehoods significantly impede response efforts to Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene.

"They're being so damn un-American with the way they're talking about this stuff," Biden said of Trump and others spreading disinformation during a White House briefing on Hurricane Milton Thursday.

Zoom in: Trump has falsely claimed that FEMA is offering just $750 to those impacted by Hurricane Helene, even though that's just one of the available relief payments, not the total amount a victim can receive.

Biden responded to the claim Thursday, saying, "That $750 that they're talking about, Mr. Trump and all those other people know it's a lie to suggest that's all they're going to get."
"That's bizarre. It's bizarre," he continued. "They've got to stop this."

What he's saying: The president addressed all those impacted by the two hurricanes, saying, "Despite the misinformation and lies, the truth is we're providing the resources needed to rescue, recover and rebuild."

"Some received death [threats] yesterday as a result of reckless, irresponsible and relentless disinformation and outright lies that have continued to flow," Biden said. "Those who engage in such lies are undermining the confidence in the rescue and recovery work."

The president said the "lies are also harmful to those who most need help. Lives are on the line. People are in desperate situations. Have the decency to tell them the truth."

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"Damn un-American": Biden slams Trump for hurricane misinformation

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