'It is wrong and it is bull': Fox host says Trump’s hurricane lies 'cannot be tolerated'
in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, former President Donald Trump is continuing to falsely assert that the federal government is leaving affected states in the lurch. One Fox News host is now directly calling out those lies.
Recently, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Fox News' Neil Cavuto to talk about the federal response to the two back-to-back hurricanes that slammed into the Southeastern United States over the last two weeks. As NJ.com reported, Cavuto didn't hold back in his criticism of the former president for politicizing the tragedy and spreading disinformation as communities are reeling from devastation.
"We get people who would say, in North Carolina that if you’re a Republican, you’re not going to get help, if you’re a Democrat, you’ll get help," Cavuto said during the segment. "I would imagine that does a huge disservice to people working together, and scares the bejesus out of others when they believe it."
READ MORE: Trump mutters 'take a look' when asked to prove aid denial for Helene victims
One of the former president's biggest lies about Helene relief was that affected residents were only getting $750 from the federal government, and that the money was a loan that had to be paid back at a later date. Buttigieg said that lie was particularly dangerous, as it could convince someone in need to falsely believe that they shouldn't request help at all.
"What if somebody hears that, they believe it, and then they don’t apply for more aid that they could absolutely qualify for? So, you know, there are real costs and real consequences to that misinformation," Buttigieg said. He added that Trump's claims were "really unfortunate, because it's just not true." Cavuto then doubled down and made sure to inform viewers that the ex-president was lying about aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“I just want to allude to something the transportation secretary, kindly pointed out on these monies that you get from FEMA. That $750 was the money up front for people who can’t access ATM machines, that kind of thing. So it wasn’t just a one-shot, that’s it. It’s a way for people to get hands on cash they desperately need, not the only money they will ever get or hope to get,“ Cavuto said.
“But that kind of misinformation gets out there, and whether it’s perpetrated by a politician or someone you think is of somewhat of note and authority, it is wrong and it is bull and it cannot be tolerated," he continued.
READ MORE: 'Unimaginable': Ex-Trump staffer reveals 'the crazy thing' about his hurricane relief claim
Despite Trump's claims of President Joe Biden's administration abandoning affected communities have beeb refuted not just by the White House, but by governors representing both parties. FEMA's response has been praised by Republican Governors Brian Kemp of Georgia, Bill Lee of Tennessee and Henry McMaster of South Carolina. North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has also defended the Biden administration's rapid deployment of federal resources to states in the wake of the deadly storms.
Aside from Cooper, the Tar Heel State's top newspapers have also condemned the former president's lies about the federal response, saying they only serve to hurt the most vulnerable residents. Both the Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer published a joint editorial, asserting: "There's no evidence to support any of [Trump's] ridiculous claims."
Watch the full segment below, or by clicking this link.
READ MORE: Top NC newspapers blast Trump's federal hurricane response lies
