By A BMB Contributor
Trump's supporters in conservative media, especially Fox News, have bolstered his criticisms of the handling of the storm's aftermath. Trump notoriously instructed the racist Proud Boy militia to “stand back and stand by” after President Joe Biden urged him to denounce the group. This moment has become a significant point of contention in political discourse.
Harris and Biden are leveraging their influential roles to tackle misinformation surrounding hurricanes, while also holding Trump accountable for his part in spreading these inaccuracies.
Federal agencies had to relocate employees involved in hurricane recovery operations in North Carolina due to alarming reports of a militia threat directed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This unsettling development comes on the heels of several days during which Donald Trump and his conservative media allies have been spreading falsehoods regarding Hurricane Helene and the federal government's response.
A man named William Jacob Parsons has been accused of threatening FEMA workers in western North Carolina. Authorities reported that Parsons was found in possession of both a handgun and a rifle when he was taken into custody. Investigators have determined that he acted independently, as reported by Fox 8.
Governor Roy Cooper issued a statement on Monday addressing the situation, emphasizing, “We recognize the presence of significant misinformation circulating online, and the threats directed at response workers on the ground must be taken with utmost seriousness.”
The conservative movement, spearheaded by Trump, has unleashed a torrent of falsehoods regarding Hurricane Helene and Milton, as well as the federal response to these catastrophic weather events.
Following the impact of Helene, Trump asserted that the Biden-Harris administration was “not responsive” to requests for assistance from Georgia officials, a claim that was promptly contradicted by Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican who supports Trump.
Additionally, Trump accused the federal government of “deliberately neglecting” aid to Republican areas in North Carolina, yet he failed to provide any evidence when challenged by reporters on this allegation.
During a rally, Trump claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris had “exhausted all her FEMA funds, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants,” a statement that is unequivocally false. In reality, House Republicans have blocked efforts to pass disaster assistance legislation, even as Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized the emergency response.
Trump’s supporters in right-wing media, especially Fox News, have bolstered his criticisms of the storm response.
Comments