North Carolina Republican Debunks ‘Helene Response Myths’ in Searing Memo That Pushes Back On MAGA Conspiracies
(Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) is pushing back against a surge of conspiracy theories that have muddied disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in North Carolina.
Since Helene made landfall last week, a wave of misinformation has been pushed by internet users and members of Edward’s party, ranging from accusations the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was diverting disaster relief resources to migrant housing projects to conspiratorial claims, “they” (or the government) engineered the storm to seize land.
Edwards, representing a western North Carolina district hit hard by Helene, published a memo on Tuesday venting his frustration at the “uptick in untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos by sharing hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and hearsay about hurricane response efforts across our mountains.”
Edwards ran through a list of eight conspiracy theories being pushed online about his district and a debunking of each, the first: “Hurricane Helene was NOT geoengineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and other right-wing influencers have perpetuated claims that the government controls the weather and is blocking private recovery efforts.
Edwards refuted the idea, citing Charles Konrad of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who confirmed that “no one has the technology or ability to geoengineer a hurricane.”
The congressman also took aim at falsehoods “extremely damaging to the response efforts” by pushing back on disinformation about FEMA. Edwards dismantled claims that FEMA could seize property, was seizing supplies, running out of money or diverting funds to prioritize migrants shelter programs.
Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that FEMA is only offering $750 to survivors for disaster relief. Without mentioning Trump by name, Edwards clarified: “The $750 is an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items,” not the total amount of aid.
Edwards urged his constituents to think twice before trusting what they see and to be “fact-checking” what they read “with a reputable source.” The problem is, the source of many of these “myths” — as the GOP congressman called them — are elected representatives.
