United States President Joe Biden has denounced the spread of misinformation regarding Hurricanes Milton and Helene as “un-American,” specifically targeting his predecessor for spreading false claims about the government’s rescue and recovery efforts.
Speaking as Hurricane Milton approached Florida on Wednesday, Biden expressed concern that those in need were being endangered by the “reckless, irresponsible and relentless” dissemination of false information about the government’s storm response.
“Quite frankly, these lies are un-American,” Biden said during remarks at the White House.
“Former President Trump has led this onslaught of lies.”
Biden pointed to several unfounded claims made by Trump, including the false allegation that disaster relief funds had been redirected to assist migrants.
“What a ridiculous thing to say. It’s not true,” Biden said.
When asked by reporters why Trump was spreading these falsehoods, Biden said he didn’t have an answer.
“I simply don’t know. You can speculate, but I just find it – I’ve used the phrase more than I’ve ever used it in my career – it’s un-American. It’s un-American. It’s not who the hell we are,” he said.
Biden also condemned the promotion of “even more bizarre” claims by Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close Trump ally.
“Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a congresswoman from Georgia, is now saying the federal government is literally controlling the weather – we’re controlling the weather,” he said. “It’s beyond ridiculous. It’s got to stop.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for the upcoming presidential election, echoed Biden’s criticism of Trump in a CNN interview, calling his actions “unconscionable.”
“We all know it’s dangerous, and the gamesmanship has to stop at some point, the politics have to end, especially in a moment of crisis,” Harris said.
On Wednesday, Trump reiterated his disapproval of the Biden administration’s handling of the situation.
“This administration has not done a proper job at all. Terrible, terrible,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a key swing state.
“We just pray for everybody,” he added. “We hope that God will keep them safe.”
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, around 8:30 p.m. local time (01:30 GMT Thursday), with winds reaching up to 193km/h (120mph). The National Hurricane Center has described Milton as “extremely dangerous” and “life-threatening,” coming less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which claimed at least 230 lives across Florida and several southern states.
Faridah Abdulkadiri.
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