A Republican congressman representing areas devastated by Hurricane Helene has implicitly rebuked members of his personal celebration, together with Donald Trump, by issuing a scorching rebuttal of misinformation and conspiracy theories unfold by the previous US president and his supporters concerning the storm and the federal government’s response.
Chuck Edwards, the member for North Carolina’s eleventh district, contradicted criticism from Trump and others of the Biden administration’s dealing with of the catastrophe by voicing reward for “a stage of assist that’s unmatched by most another catastrophe nationwide”.
He additionally condemned “outrageous rumors”, which he stated had been hampering makes an attempt to assist badly affected communities in his constituency.
The missive, within the type of a press launch headlined “Debunking Helene Response Myths” and posted on Edwards’s official congressional web site, adopted warnings from Deanne Criswell, the director of the Federal Emergency Administration Company (Fema) that the glut of misinformation surrounding the aid operation was the worst she had ever seen.
“Hurricane Helene was NOT geo-engineered by the federal government to grab and entry lithium deposits in Chimney Rock,” Edwards wrote on the high of a listing of eight rebuttals.
“No person can management the climate,” he added, citing the director of the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Regional Local weather Middle as an authority.
Edwards didn’t establish the supply of that or different rumors talked about, merely referring to disinformation that had unfold “on-line”.
But it surely flatly contradicted latest feedback by the far-right Georgia member of Congress Marjorie Taylor Greene, who instructed her 1.2 million followers on X final week: “Sure they will management the climate. It’s ridiculous for anybody to lie and say it will probably’t be completed.”
In additional rebuttals, Edwards wrote: “FEMA has NOT diverted catastrophe response funding to the border or international assist.” He added that the company was “NOT solely offering $750 to catastrophe survivors to assist their restoration”, clarifying that the sum was merely a direct “first step” of an extended strategy of help.
The rumors have been repeated by Trump, who has additionally falsely accused Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the vice-president and his Democratic opponent in subsequent month’s presidential election, of intentionally diverting help away from Republican areas.
Fingers have additionally been pointed at Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and dedicated Trump backer and donor, who has unfold disinformation to his 200 million followers on X, the social media platform he owns.
“FEMA used up its price range ferrying illegals into the nation as a substitute of saving American lives. Treason,” Musk posted on 4 October.
In one other submit, he wrote: “The extent of belligerent authorities incompetence is staggering!!” The SpaceX proprietor – whose Starlink know-how has offered cell phone entry to these reduce off by the storm – has additionally disseminated accusations that Fema has “actively blocked” donations to the hurricane’s victims.
Referring to social media, Edwards wrote: “I encourage you to do not forget that every little thing you see on Fb, X, or another social media platform isn’t at all times truth. Please be sure you are truth checking what you learn on-line with a good supply.”
He’s not the primary Republican politician to name for a halt to on-line disinformation surrounding the storm and the trouble to convey aid to its results.
Citing a number of the identical rumors, Kevin Corbin, a Republican North Carolina state senator, pleaded together with his Fb followers final week: “PLEASE assist cease this junk.”
“The misinformation is extraordinarily damaging to the response efforts from Helene and from any catastrophe,” Keith Turi, Fema’s appearing affiliate administrator for response and restoration, instructed Politico. “It’s decreasing the probability that survivors will come to Fema in a trusting strategy to register for help.”
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