Vice President Kamala Harris slammed former President Donald Trump for spreading disinformation about Hurricane Helene as a massive recovery effort continues across multiple states, saying that he, in trademark fashion, is making the disaster all "about him."
The death toll from Hurricane Helene rose to 231 as of Monday as the effort to recover bodies continued over a week after the devastating storm battered the Southeast, claiming lives across six states.
Helene is now the deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005. Roughly half of the victims were in North Carolina, with many others in Georgia and South Carolina. And Trump's series of lies about the event is especially dangerous, Harris warned, as the same region prepares for Hurricane Milton, which has already strengthened to a Category 5, with winds well over 180 miles per hour.
Trump has, for instance, lied about the federal response to Hurricane Helene, echoing a circulating rumor that survivors are receiving only $750 from FEMA. This amount actually refers to immediate assistance FEMA can provide to affected individuals in disaster zones.
As she prepared to board Air Force Two, Harris addressed the coming monster storm:
"A lot of people have survived these hurricanes before but this one [Milton] is going to be very, very serious and I urge you to just grab whatever you need, listen to the orders you're getting from your local officials. They know what they're telling you and they know what Milton is about to be, so please do that."
And then hit Trump where it hurts.
"The other point I'd make is there's a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, particularly to the survivors of Helene. It’s extraordinarily irresponsible.
It’s about him. It’s not about you.”
She went on:
“The reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them now, and resources that are about helping people get back on their feet and rebuild and have places to go. You are entitled to these resources. People are entitled to these resources, and it is critically important that people apply for the help that is there to support."
"All those resources were created for just these kind of moments in an emergency situation knowing that folks are entitled to the relief they rightfully need at this moment in time. Listen to your sheriffs around the places that have been impacted by Helene about what's available to you and how there are no conditions attached to the relief that's available."
Harris shared the footage of her remarks to her followers on X, formerly Twitter, along with the following caption and a link to disasterassistance.gov:
"There is a lot of disinformation being pushed by Donald Trump about the aid available to survivors of Helene. It is extraordinarily irresponsible. I urge people to apply for the many resources they are entitled to from FEMA."
Others echoed her sentiments.
Project 2025, authored by several former Trump officials, proposes drastic cuts to federal forecasting of severe storms and the aid provided to devastated towns and cities. Emergency management officials warn that such cuts would significantly worsen the impacts of a storm like Helene.
The plan advocates for “breaking up and downsizing” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which it labels a key part “of the climate change alarm industry.” The document argues that NOAA’s climate research is “harmful to future US prosperity” and should be disbanded.
NOAA oversees the National Weather Service (NWS), responsible for providing forecasts and analyses on hurricanes and other extreme weather events. Project 2025 calls for the service to “fully commercialize its forecasting operations.”
The plan would also dramatically overhaul FEMA, including the elimination of the federal flood insurance program—the nation’s primary flood insurance provider—and reducing disaster aid.
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