CNN’s Kayla Tausche: “You said on CNN yesterday that some of the misinformation that had been perpetuated around these storms was already beginning to have an impact on individuals either applying or deciding not to apply for government relief. Can you elaborate on what exactly you’re seeing and what exactly you determined to be the cause of that?”
DHS Secretary Mayorkas: “So let me — let me repeat — um — that in fact the false information that is being spread deliberately does have a real life impact on survivors and it is also demoralizing for those heroic individuals who are risking their lives in the service of others. Let me give you one example. There is false information that federal employees who are there to help people will actually take their land and what we have seen is people reticent, reluctant to access the relief to which they are entitled and which will help them because of the fear that that false information has instilled in them. That is just one example.”
ABC’s Mary Bruce: who represents the St. Petersburg area, said that she spoke with the President today about the response. She is one of those people who has been spreading disinformation, misinformation about FEMA assistance. Did that come up in the conversation? Did the President, you know, directly talk to her about that and encourage her to stop it?”
KJP: “Look, the President was certainly focused on what’s happening on the ground and making sure that the federal government is — is — any needs that are unmet are met and that everybody who is on the ground, certainly a local officials, elected officials who are trying to help their community has what they need, and look, the President was very clear. It is unacceptable. It is unacceptable for bad faith actors — right — to — to continue to push out misinformation. As I stated, it is — uh — dangerous. It does not — it gets in the way of. fighting the assistance that we need. We have heard — you all have reported on stories where people are not going for — asking for assistance because of the misinformation. And so, the President was really clear. It is very, very clear, and one of the — one of the issues that we have heard are the lies or falsehoods that are out there is the $750. It is the beginning. It is something so that people are able to buy, you know, diapers, to buy milk, or able to buy necessities that they need in the moment, at the time after dealing with such a horrible event and the $750 is the beginning and there is more to come, but it’s not helpful when people do that. So, the President is not going to shy away from that. He was very straight forward, very forceful about it twice yesterday when he spoke to the public and so, we’re going to be very, very clear. It is unacceptable, but the calls that the President made today was about making sure that — uh — Americans, people on the ground who have been affected by this hurricane, this most recent hurricane, Hurricane Milton, they have what they need on the ground.”
https://www.facebook.com/HygoNewsUSA/videos/1495634784451209
Q: spreading disinformation, misinformation about FEMA? A: demoralizing heroic, false info