During a meeting on Hurricane Milton, US President Joe Biden referred to conspiracy theories put forward by some Republican politicians, including accusations that the government controls the weather. Biden and Vice President Harris warned the hurricane could be the “storm of the century.”
During a briefing on preparations for the hurricane, the US president Joe Biden and Kamala Harris condemned “lies and disinformation” about government activities, spread, among others, By Donald Trump and some Republican politicians.
– Former President Trump serves up a barrage of lies. There have been claims that citizens' property is being confiscated. This is simply not true. They say those affected by these storms will receive $750 in cash and nothing more. This is simply not true. They claim that money for this crisis is being given to migrants. How ridiculous. This is not true, Biden said during the crisis staff meeting at the White House.
“Climate change is the new Covid. Ask those in power whether the weather is manipulated or controlled. Have you ever given them permission to do so? Do you pay for it? Of course you do,” wrote far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
– Now the claims become even more bizarre. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a congresswoman from Georgia, now says that the federal government literally controls the weather. We control the weather. This is beyond funny. This must end, commented Joe Biden.
US President Joe BidenRON SACHS/PAP/EPA
Republicans criticize their party for disinformation about the hurricane
House member Carlos Gimenez of Florida on Wednesday called on Marjorie Taylor Greene to “have her head checked.” “There is no place for disinformation in times like these, especially when it is intentional,” he commented on CNN's “This Morning.”
Republican congressman Chuck Edwards, who represents storm-ravaged North Carolina, also referred to disinformation in a letter addressed to his electorate. – Amidst the widespread support, we have also seen an increase in unreliable sources trying to cause chaos by sharing hoaxes, conspiracy theories and rumors about the hurricane response. I am here to dispel the scandalous rumors circulating on the Internet, he emphasized, adding that no one can control the weather.
Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah attacked former President Donald Trump for spreading fake news, including about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). – Former President Trump told us that people in Springfield eat dogs and cats, okay? He also said that FEMA money, our emergency money, instead of helping people affected by the hurricane, is being used to help illegal immigrants. He's just making it up. He is able to spew so much disinformation that the Chinese must laugh,” Romney said. Republican Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina, who supported the former president's candidacy, also refuted a number of his statements. “We need to focus on rescue operations, recovery operations, cleanup operations, and we don't need any disruption,” the senator warned. On CBS' “Face The Nation” on Sunday, he explained that it comes “at the expense of hard-working first responders and people who are just trying to get their old lives back.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who challenged Trump in this year's presidential primaries, asked state residents to ignore misinformation on the Internet.
Florida is waiting for Hurricane Milton to arrive
Hurricane Milton on Wednesday night local time hit the west coast of Florida near Tampa Bay, inhabited by approximately 3 million people. President Biden and Vice President Harris warned that the cyclone – currently classified as a Category 4 hurricane on a five-point scale – could be the “storm of the century”, flooding coastal areas with storm surge of up to 4.5 meters.
The hurricane's current wind speed is up to 230 km/h. Even before the cyclone made landfall, Milton caused tornadoes to form.
– This is a storm that is expected to be of historic proportions. I know many of you are tough and have weathered these hurricanes before, but this one will be different. And that's why we're asking you to understand in every way that this storm will be more dangerous, more deadly and more catastrophic,” Harris said.
As a result of the order to evacuate counties in the hurricane's path, gigantic traffic jams were created on exit roads on Tuesday, including: from Tampa and St. Petersburg. Flight prices from Florida have also gone up dramatically. Harris threatened that companies and individuals taking advantage of the situation to illegally raise prices “will be held accountable.”
Main photo source: RON SACHS/PAP/EPA