Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories collide with election misinformation
As emergency crews work to help people experiencing grave losses after Hurricane Helene, a wave of misinformation has accompanied relief efforts, heightened by an existential election just a month away.
The upcoming election has ramped up the misinformation, a common thread of which happens after most big news events. These claims have found believers – or at least opportunistic fans – among top Republicans, who are now tying an unprecedented disaster to issues like immigration.
“There’s no question that this level of falsehoods would not be spread were there not an election a month away,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council.
The falsehoods started quickly and came from the top. Donald Trump, freshly landed in Georgia on Monday to see the storm’s devastation, claimed that the state’s governor, Brian Kemp, had not been able to reach Joe Biden to talk about disaster aid. Kemp had already said earlier in the day that he’d spoken to the president, who offered any help the state needed and said to call him directly.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) put up a webpage this week to knock down the swirl of rumors it has faced – a sign of the increased myths. The American Red Cross posted on social media to dispel various falsehoods about its work. Members of Congress and state emergency management services have issued statements to insist they are working around the clock on disaster response. Elected officials who serve the area have asked constituents not to spread rumors and instead help each other.
