On Sunday, a liberal-leaning policy organization in North Carolina voiced concerns following reports that federal emergency personnel were compelled to leave an area severely impacted by Hurricane Helene last month. This action was taken after warnings surfaced about “armed groups” targeting the teams deployed in response to the hurricane.
The unsettling news did not come as a surprise to Carolina Forward, an independent research group. This concern followed numerous false statements from Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, criticizing the Biden administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) handling of the hurricane’s aftermath.
“This is the result of MAGA rhetoric,” Carolina Forward stated on social media platforms. “Their falsehoods eventually lead to tangible, harmful outcomes.”
According to a report by The Washington Post on Sunday evening, an urgent alert was issued by an official from the U.S. Forest Service to other federal entities involved in the recovery efforts on Saturday afternoon. The alert advised that FEMA had called on all federal responders in Rutherford County, North Carolina, to “cease operations and evacuate the county immediately.”
The official noted that National Guard units in the area encountered two trucks full of armed individuals who claimed they were targeting FEMA teams.
This alarming message was confirmed by two federal officials.
“It’s tragic that many individuals in need of help are rejecting it because they’ve been swayed by false narratives about FEMA and the government… It’s particularly disheartening as these are often the individuals most in need of assistance.”
Emergency teams relocated to a “secure location” and halted their operations in Rutherford County, where they had been engaged in tasks like delivering supplies and removing debris from roads to aid search and rescue operations.
“Let’s be explicit: Armed groups are terrorizing FEMA rescuers, halting crucial recovery efforts because Donald Trump has been propagating falsehoods and misinformation about the hurricane. This responsibility falls on the Republican presidential candidate, with contributions from Elon Musk,” media critic Jennifer Schulze remarked, referencing the billionaire owner of X who has promoted Trump’s misleading statements through his social media platform. “It’s reprehensible and disqualifying.”
A Fox News affiliate WGHP reported on Monday that William Jacob Parsons was arrested for threatening FEMA workers in Rutherford County, armed with a handgun and allegedly acting alone.
This interruption is yet another instance showing the significant impact of Trump and his vice-presidential pick, U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), spreading misinformation about FEMA following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Last Thursday, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, highlighted that federal workers, including thousands deployed across states like North Carolina and Florida for storm relief, have faced threats recently. Even meteorologists have been harassed by individuals convinced that weather experts and government officials are manipulating storms, as reported by The Guardian last week.
“I’ve had numerous claims that I created and directed the hurricane. Some people believe we control the weather,” Michigan meteorologist Katie Nickolaou told The Guardian. “I’ve explained that a hurricane releases energy equivalent to 10,000 nuclear bombs and is beyond our control. Yet, the accusations have escalated to more aggressive threats, with some saying those responsible for Milton should face lethal consequences.”
President Joe Biden also addressed these falsehoods last week, emphasizing that such misinformation undermines public trust in the ongoing and future rescue and recovery efforts.
Since Hurricane Helene caused unexpected severe flooding in western North Carolina last month, Trump has baselessly alleged that:
- Biden ignored a plea from Republican Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, a claim Kemp denied;
- He had heard reports of North Carolina officials deliberately neglecting Republican areas;
- Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, misspent all her FEMA funds on housing undocumented immigrants; and
- FEMA offered a meager $750 to those who lost their homes.
“It’s a sad reality that those refusing aid are often the ones in dire need of it,” Duncan expressed to the publication. In Chimney Rock, Rutherford County, FEMA has now limited its operations to secure, fixed locations instead of conducting door-to-door assessments, as reported by the Post, “out of an abundance of caution.”
Reflecting on the broader impact of Trump’s unfounded claims, Matt Ortega, a web developer from Oakland, California, noted, “Just as in Springfield, Ohio, where schools and local government were disrupted by bomb threats over rumors about Haitian immigrants, Trump and the Republicans’ lies about FEMA are creating a debt paid by the most vulnerable—children in Springfield and recovery workers facing threats while on duty.”
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