President Joe Biden said Friday that he believes his administration is “shaking the truth” when it comes to misinformation surrounding the federal response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
Even Biden continued his vocal criticism Of former President Donald Trump, he said he was “not solely to blame” for the proliferation of false claims in recent weeks, but he “has the biggest mouth.”
The comments came as Biden met with Vice President Kamala Harris, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other White House officials. FloridaNorth Carolina and elsewhere in the Southeast.
The president will travel to Florida on Sunday to visit areas affected by Hurricane Milton, the White House said.
Biden has urged lawmakers to return to Washington to approve some additional funding for disaster relief, though he said he has yet to discuss the issue directly with House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“I’ve talked to Republicans who want to talk to Speaker Johnson, and I think he’s going to get the message that Speaker Johnson needs to step up, especially for small businesses,” Biden said.
Mayorkas said FEMA will be able to meet immediate needs from both storms. Funding for the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program is falling short, however, Biden said in a letter to lawmakers last week.
President Joe Biden delivers an update on the federal government’s response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene at the White House, Oct. 11, 2024, in Washington.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Biden reviewed the damage done in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida by Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 230 people and displaced hundreds more.
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday afternoon. At least 16 people died in the storm and millions remain without power.
Biden has spoken with numerous state and local officials, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who he said was “very cooperative.” Asked if he would meet with DeSantis on Sunday, Biden said yes as long as the governor was available.
The White House has forcefully pushed back on false claims about the federal storm response, including how much aid victims may receive. Biden and Mayorkas said the misinformation has hindered FEMA’s ability to help people affected by the devastation and is also causing threats to first responders on the ground.
Asked if the misinformation about the storm was part of a new normal for the country, Biden said it “may be for some extreme people, but I don’t think that’s what the country is about.”
“We’re breaking with that. We’re breaking with the truth,” he said, adding that he was “proud” that Republican mayors and other state officials pushed back that the falsehoods must stop and that they are Americans. coming together to help each other.
“But what bothers me the most is that there are a lot of people caught up in these crises who are essentially alone,” Biden said. “You know, widows, people in hospitals, people who are on their own, and they don’t know, and they lose touch, and they get it, and they’re just scared to death, they’re scared to death. And yet, so I think it’s.. I think those who have been spreading these lies to try to weaken the opposition will pay the price.”
