Authorities are urging the public to stop spreading misinformation amid Hurricane Helen recovery efforts. Both Republicans and Democrats have decried misinformation and disinformation, with Donald Trump and Elon Musk amplifying false claims.
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As rescue workers respond to Hurricane Helen's devastation in North Carolina, government officials on both sides of the aisle are calling for a truce over misinformation.
Since the hurricane made landfall in Florida and swept through the Carolinas, it has itself become embroiled in another powerful force: American politics in a presidential election year.
Some social media users have been sharing unsubstantiated claims, some with fake AI-generated photos, and threatening the response of the government's disaster relief agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). and, by extension, criticize the response of President Joe Biden's administration.
“It's not necessarily unusual for emergencies to be a breeding ground for misinformation and disinformation, but I think we're seeing a particularly large amount of false claims circulating at this time,” said the Brennan Center. said Mekela Pandisaratne, Senior Advisor. Justice, the nonprofit policy institute at New York University School of Law, told Business Insider. “I don't think it's a coincidence that we have a very important national election coming up.”
Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Company X and a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump, wrote on his social media network, “FEMA is failing to help and won't let others help. ” and reposted similar claims from others.
Musk shared another claim that airspace in Asheville, North Carolina, was closed to thwart recovery efforts, and received fact-checking from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who said the Federal Aviation Administration has not closed airspace. I was encouraged to. Buttigieg told Musk to call him if he had any problems, and after they spoke on the phone, Musk posted that the plane was in flight and thanked Buttigieg.
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President Trump took advantage of the tragedy to criticize the Biden administration, as well as his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, saying that the Biden administration “stole FEMA money” and “spent all that money on illegal immigration.” The Washington Post reported.
His comments came after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said FEMA needs more funding from Congress to get through the rest of the hurricane season.
A Washington Post investigation found no evidence that the Biden administration used disaster relief funds for the migrant crisis. However, during the 2019 hurricane season, Trump himself authorized the use of $155 million from disaster relief funds to detain immigrants at the border, the Post reported.
Bipartisan calls to stop spreading 'junk' information
In response to a surge in misinformation, FEMA created a searchable fact-checking page to combat misinformation about relief efforts. In North Carolina, the Department of Public Safety also shared a fact check on social media, and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper reposted it.
Republicans are also joining the fight against disinformation. North Carolina Senate Republican Kevin Corbin called on Facebook to stop spreading “conspiracy theory junk.” He listed bizarre claims he and other officials said they had heard, ranging from accusations that “FEMA is stealing money from donations” to “the government controls the weather in Antarctica.”
“It only serves as a distraction to people who are trying to do their jobs,” Mr Corbyn wrote.
Officials say misinformation is hampering genuine recovery efforts. Chris Carlson/AP
Fellow Republican senator Thom Tillis echoed Mr Corbyn's comments on CBS News' Standing Up to the Nation with Margaret Brennan on Sunday. He said many of the allegations were “not even coming from people on the ground”, complicating rescue and recovery efforts.
“It's at the expense of first responders who are working hard and people who are just trying to restore life,” Tillis said. “To be honest, most of what I've seen on the ground is a distraction and doesn't serve the core of our efforts here, which is to save lives and begin rebuilding.”
Panditaratne told BI that the spread of misinformation could “dissuade people from seeking the help they need during this time of crisis.”
“While it is perfectly legitimate to express opinions and criticize the adequacy of the response, many of the claims we are seeing, particularly from prominent actors and politicians, are not well-founded. are inconsistent with verifiable facts or are not supported by evidence,” she said. “In that case, I think it could lead to a diversion of public information and resources, which could reduce the morale of staff on the ground.”
Pandisaratne said that during a crisis, there can be a gap in the information available, creating a vacuum where “misinformation flows in to fill that gap.” But that's no excuse, she added.
“People like Mr. Musk, who have significant influence over the information ecosystem, should feel a sense of responsibility to promote information that does not undermine people's ability to access the help they need or undermine authorities' response to the crisis.” ” she said.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Representatives for X did not immediately respond.
