As he provided an update on the federal response to hurricanes Milton and Helene, President Joe Biden also again called out misinformation that has been spread about the disasters, singling out Donald Trump for making false claims.
Asked whether he had spoken to Trump about it, Biden told reporters, “Are you kidding me? Mr. President Trump, former President Trump. Get a life, man. Help these people.”
The president then said that he doesn’t plan on speaking to Trump and that voters and journalists should hold him accountable.
Trump has spread false claims that federal disaster resources have been depleted because they were diverted to the border. In fact, Biden said, FEMA has enough initial money to assist those impacted, but he said that Small Business Administration resources were running out. He called for congressional action and suggested that lawmakers come back from recess to address the back-to-back national disasters.
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Biden said that some emergency officials received death threats because of the disinformation that has spread.
“Lives are on the line. People are in desperate situations. Have the decency to tell them the truth,” Biden said. “So let me say this to all the people impacted by Hurricane Helene and Milton, despite the misinformation and lies, the truth is we’re providing the resources needed to rescue, recover and rebuild.”
Biden said that at least four people have died in the latest hurricane. He noted that 38 tornadoes also ripped through 13 counties in the state.
Biden said that it was “too early to know the full account of the damage, but we know lifesaving measures did make a difference.” He said that more than 80,000 people followed orders to safely shelter on Wednesday night.
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