US President Joe Biden on Wednesday accused Donald Trump of unleashing an “onslaught of lies” over the government’s response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Biden warned that Milton, which is barreling towards Florida, was “looking like the storm of the century” and said misinformation could harm people who need help.
“There’s been a reckless, irresponsible and relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies,” Biden told a briefing at the White House as the monster storm barreled towards Florida.
Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, “has led the onslaught of lies,” said Biden, who was joined virtually in the briefing by Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate battling Trump in November’s election.
Biden said the disinformation was “undermining confidence” in rescue and recovery work and it was “harmful to those who need help the most.”
Trump and Republicans have been pushing false claims over the storms, targeting in particular the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“Assertions have been made that property is being confiscated. That’s simply not true. They’re saying people impacted by these storms will receive $750 in cash and no more. That’s simply not true,” said Biden.
“They’re saying the money needed for this crisis is being diverted to migrants. What a ridiculous thing to say. It’s not true.”
Biden also slammed the “even more bizarre” claims being promoted by pro-Trump Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Greene was “saying the federal government is literally controlling the weather… It’s beyond ridiculous. It’s got to stop.”
Biden repeated his warnings that Florida residents in the affected areas should evacuate immediately: “It’s literally a matter of life and death.”
Harris — who joined the briefing virtually from New York where she has been on an election media blitz — promised to crack down on any traders gouging prices of food, fuel and accommodation as Milton approaches.
“Anyone taking advantage of consumers will be held accountable,” Harris told the briefing.
Harris also echoed Biden’s criticisms of Trump in a separate telephone interview with CNN.
“It is dangerous, it is unconscionable, frankly, that anyone who’d consider themselves a leader would mislead desperate people to the point that those desperate people would not receive the aid to which they are entitled,” she said.
“We all know it’s dangerous, and the gamesmanship has to stop.”
Biden postponed a trip to Germany and Angola on Tuesday and has been heavily promoting the White House’s efforts in recent days for both Milton and the response to Helene, which killed more than 230 people across the southeastern United States.
Biden and Harris were stung by criticism of their initial response to Hurricane Helene, when the president spent the weekend working from his beach house and the vice president was at an election fundraiser on the US west coast.
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