(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) After receiving criticism from Americans, the Federal Emergency Management Agency set up “rumor control” to make different and uncomfortable facts sound absurd and conspiratorial.
Among those facts was that the agency prioritized illegal aliens over American citizens who were affected by Hurricane Helene.
On Thursday, FEMA posted on Twitter that some people spread “rumors” and “confusion.”
“There [have] been a lot of rumors spreading about the #Helene response. Rumors can create confusion & prevent people from getting [the] assistance they need,” FEMA wrote.
FEMA also provided a link to the webpage where the agency was “debunking” some rumors, such as that FEMA didn’t have money to support Americans whose lives were destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
Even though Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas previously said that the agency could not help American citizens because it lacked money, FEMA still lied to the public by saying that it had money.
“FEMA has enough money right now for immediate response and recovery needs. If you were affected by Helene, do not hesitate to apply for disaster assistance, as there is a variety of help available for different needs,” FEMA wrote.
The agency continued gaslighting people by claiming that it didn’t spend money on illegals. Headline USA previously reported that the agency gave away millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money to help people who are legally not even allowed to be inside the country.
“This is false. No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster-related efforts,” FEMA wrote.
The agency also lied about the government giving only $750 to Americans, a slap in the face to those who suffered because of the hurricane that Headline USA also covered.
FEMA spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg also published a thread on Twitter, writing about similar things.
There are many dangerous, misleading rumors spreading about #Helene response, which can actively prevent survivors from getting help. Our top priority is ensuring that disaster assistance is reaching people in need.
— Jaclyn Rothenberg (@FEMAspox) October 3, 2024
Conservatives on Twitter quickly criticized FEMA in the comment section of the agency’s original Twitter post.
“Rumor: ‘FEMA is completely failing the people of NC and TN.’ Fact check: True,” @DC_Draino wrote.
Rumor: “FEMA is completely failing the people of NC and TN”
Fact check: True
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) October 3, 2024
