Last week, Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast, leaving over 200 dead and thousands missing across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee.

Now, as Florida braces for Hurricane Milton—a massive, once-in-a-century storm—Trump, JD Vance, and right-wing media are politicizing the crisis, spreading conspiracy theories that undermine rescue efforts.

At first glance, these lies may seem too absurd to take seriously. Claims that Democrats are using “weather manipulation” or deliberately withholding aid from Republican districts might sound ridiculous, but they’re already having a dangerous impact. The head of FEMA even warned that this misinformation is “truly dangerous.”

We’ll delve into these conspiracies and how they're spreading in a moment, but first, if you support COURIER’s mission to counter right-wing misinformation with factual local reporting, can you chip in $17 today? [[link removed]]

Trump and his MAGA allies are waging a two-front misinformation campaign, using the hurricanes to score political points.

The first front is a smear campaign to make the Biden-Harris rescue response seem ineffective and partisan.

Here, Trump is leading the charge, falsely claiming that the government is withholding aid from Republican voters, limiting support for hurricane victims to $750, and allocating emergency funds to migrants instead of disaster response.

Trump backer and X owner Elon Musk took these lies further by amplifying completely fabricated claims that North Carolina government officials were arresting FEMA officers.

JD Vance and the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal did their part in an op-ed published by the once-respected media property:

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Vance’s claims in the article have been debunked by the public statements of Republican governors in Tennessee and Georgia who praised the Biden-Harris response. According to a media report, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper called Vance’s op-ed “appalling.”

The second set of lies is even more unhinged, propagated by far-right influencers on X and TikTok.

These conspiracies accuse Democrats of using “weather manipulation” to harm Republicans, with wild claims backed by nothing more than a data collection flight by NOAA or a tweet from Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Now, as Hurricane Milton hits Florida, FEMA officials are concerned that people might be too scared to seek help because they believe these lies.

That’s why COURIER exists. Our local newsrooms in Florida and North Carolina are countering misinformation in real time when it truly matters.

Here’s what we mean:

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We can keep standing up to right-wing misinformation, but we can’t do it without your help. Can you contribute $17 or more right now and do your part to support local news that cuts at the heart of right-wing lies and misinformation? [[link removed]]

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COURIER

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