Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert hasn't historically seemed overly concerned with the facts when making official statements and a recent tweet of hers firmly supports that behavior pattern.
In the post, Boebert criticized what she perceived as Democratic President Joe Biden's lack of a response to the tragic wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
Boebert claimed he was "on vacation" and not responding to the crisis.
The problem?
Biden had most definitely responded to the situation and authorized aid for Maui two days before Boebert's post.
While the President did spend the weekend at his residence in Delaware as he often does, he approved a Major Disaster Declaration and pledged assistance to the people of Maui on Thursday.
Biden stated:
"Our prayers are with the people of Hawaii, but not just our prayers. Every asset we have will be available to them."
He pledged the declaration "will get aid into the hands of people who desperately need help."
"Anyone who's lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately."
People were quick to give Boebert a reality check in the comments.
Some compared Biden's response to the crisis in Maui to Trump's response to Hurricane Maria.
Several people pointed out Biden visiting Hawaii now would actually be incredibly counterproductive.
It could possibly even be harmful to rescue and recovery efforts.
Vice President Kamala Harris said last week she and the President were not planning to visit the island because it wouldn't be helpful at this time.
As reported by C-SPAN, Harris said:
"We don’t want to distract from the resources that need to go in to the victims of this tragedy, and of course the needs of the first responders have to be able to focus on that issue and not worry about focusing on us [because] we’re there"
She continued:
"We are coordinating federal resources to swiftly get there to support the work in terms of recovery, but to just support the folks on the ground. It is tragic."
The loss of lives, homes, livelihoods and natural and sacred spaces on Maui is catastrophic.
Recovery from this tragedy will take time and resources, which the federal government has pledged to provide.
If you can help provide those resources, you can donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund by clicking here. HCF has pledged not to take any fees out of donations to this fund, so 100% of funds donated will go directly to helping those affected by the fires.
American Red Cross of Hawaii is on the ground in Maui helping those affected, and you can donate to them by clicking here—be sure to select "Hawaii Wildfires" from the drop-down menu.
Aloha United Way has also created a relief fund to support Maui's community.
Officials have said that it could take years for the island and it's community to truly recover from this disaster, and the true extent of the damages and lives lost are still being evaluated.
