CNN host Dana Bash scrambled to correct Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump on Sunday after she criticized the limited federal funding sent to victims of Hurricane Helene.
With over 200 reported deaths from Hurricane Helene, the Biden administration’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has faced significant backlash after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that the agency lacks sufficient funds to last through hurricane season. During “State of the Union,” Lara Trump expressed concern for those affected by the storm in response to Bash pressing her on former President Donald Trump’s claim that FEMA was “only offering $750” to Americans and that the Biden administration was redirecting aid to illegal immigrants.
“I’m incredibly concerned, in North Carolina, I hear every day from people on the ground there, and they are desperate for help. It is a dire situation there. I actually think we don’t even know the extent yet of truly how bad it is there. And look, Kamala Harris did come out and say it‘s $750 per family right now, the idea that we’ve spent $650 million in fiscal year 24 on the migrant crisis that Kamala Harris was responsible for stopping — by all accounts, she created — by having an open-door policy at our southern border,” Lara Trump said.
“But Laura, let me just stop you right there,” Bash jumped in. “Let me just stop you right there because I just want to not let this get out there. You are right that FEMA is giving $750, but that is a first step. It’s for immediate needs, it’s called the serious needs assist.”
Lara Trump criticized Mayorkas’s recent statement that FEMA is running low on hurricane relief funds, questioning why the current administration is relying on help from “local citizens.”
“Well Alejandro Mayorkas came out, Dana, and said they are out of money in terms of their hurricane relief. We have another hurricane heading towards Florida right now,” Lara Trump pushed back. “Why is this government inept right now? Why don’t they have anything in order? Why is it that right now the citizens in western North Carolina are screaming for help, and it’s having to come from local citizens.”
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“People from my hometown of Wilmington are driving across the state, six hours, to go to the mountains and help people. Where is our federal government [and] why are they out of money?” Lara trump questioned.
Bash then acknowledged the devastation caused by the Category 4 storm, adding that FEMA has denied claims that it redirected funds to help illegal immigrants.
“It is bad there. But my question is about the misinformation, particularly the notion that they are moving money to migrants to, you say, undocumented migrants, which FEMA says flatly is not true,” Bash responded. “If people are not getting correct information then they can’t go for assistance as they have been asked for. I just want to quickly play what Senator Thom Tillis — ”
“Let me just say for one second. You have migrants being housed in luxury hotels in New York City. We have paid so much money from our tax dollars into the crisis that didn’t need to happen. We could redirect money to help people immediately on the ground in North Carolina or in Florida where we’re probably going to have a situation coming up in the next several days,” Lara Trump said.
Bash then reiterated that the RNC co-chair’s comments were related to a “separate tranche of money” before moving on to show a clip of lawmakers on the ground in the storm’s aftermath.
While FEMA has denied on their website that “no money is being diverted from disaster response needs,” the agency has previously spent over $1 billion within the past two fiscal years on a program which provides illegal immigrants with “humanitarian services” after they’re released from DHS’ custody.
Featured Image Credit: Matt Johnson from Omaha, Nebraska, United States
