A stern President Biden lashed out at former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies Wednesday as he led a major hurricane response weeks before Election Day, accusing his predecessor of spreading false information about the federal response to hurricanes in the Southeast.
Speaking from the White House, Mr. Biden labeled Mr. Trump a ringleader of “lies.”
Mr. Biden said that no one’s property would be confiscated in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, and the online reports that storm victims will get $750 in cash and nothing else is false.
“It’s harmful to those who most need the help,” Mr. Biden said. “Quite frankly, these lies are un-American and there is no place for them.”
Mr. Biden also took issue with Mr. Trump’s claims that Federal Emergency Management Agency money was being redirected to migrants and could not be spent on storm recovery.
Money was spent on migrants through FEMA, but the administration says that stream of funding was divorced from storm relief and did not cut into the hurricane response.
“What the heck are they talking about? Stop it, it’s outrageous,” Mr. Biden said. “It’s un-American.”
The president also lambasted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, for suggesting online that people can control the weather. A note on the X platform said clouds can be seeded for minor rain but humans cannot dictate hurricanes.
“It’s beyond ridiculous. It’s so stupid,” Mr. Biden said.
Mr. Biden addressed the nation as Hurricane Milton churned through the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 3 storm. It is headed for the Tampa area late Wednesday or early Thursday, sparking fears of widespread destruction.
The president said the storm remains a powerful force despite its downgrade from Category 5 status earlier this week.
“No one should be confused,” Mr. Biden said. “Milton still carries incredible destructiveness. [It] can wipe out communities, can cause loss of life.”
He said storm surges are expected to rise to 13 feet.
Mr. Biden said it is probably too late for local residents to fully evacuate at this point, but seeking shelter even a few miles from the main path can be helpful.
The president said he directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to pre-position search-and-rescue teams, helicopters and other personnel as “close to the storm as possible.” He said active-duty military members will be ready to support Florida after the storm “if Gov. [Ron] DeSantis requests the help, which I expect he might.”
Similarly, Mr. Biden directed 1,500 troops to North Carolina to assist cleanup from the recent Hurricane Helene.
The president also pledged to be in “constant contact” with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell as she heads from North Carolina to Florida to work with Mr. DeSantis, a Republican.
Mr. Biden called Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, a valuable partner in the storm effort.
Asked if Mr. DeSantis should take her phone calls, Mr. Biden shrugged and said the governor is taking his calls and has been “gracious.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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