How hurricane falsehoods are dividing the Republican Party

As Donald Trump and his allies spread false claims about Hurricanes Helene and Milton,
the Republican Party has split into two camps:
🔸those who try to dispel the falsehoods,
♦️and those who are doubling down on them.


#Helene made landfall Sept. 26, tearing through parts of Florida and Georgia before devastating much of western North Carolina,
ultimately causing more than 230 deaths.

#Milton made landfall Wednesday evening near Sarasota, Fla., bringing powerful winds, tornadoes and deadly floodwaters.


As the country digs out, Republicans in storm-battered states appear torn between the #need to #curb #misinformation and 🔥#fear of drawing a #rebuke from Trump just weeks before the election.

Many lawmakers and officials have sought to counter these rumors 🔸without directly criticizing the former president or their party.


One of the most prevalent falsehoods spread by Trump is the claim that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, has used some disaster-relief funds to help migrants.

Though the emergency agency and migrant-relief programs are both part of the Department of Homeland Security, ⭐️their funds are in separate accounts,
and money earmarked for aid to migrants can’t be transferred to cover hurricane costs.

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