Very sad and infuriating segment on Morning Joe about the effect Trump conspiracy theories are having on FEMA aid.
"Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards of North Carolina is pushing back on the disinformation and conspiracy theories Donald Trump and his allies continue to spread in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and now around Hurricane Milton," Willie Geist said.
"In an email to constituents yesterday, Congressman Edwards, who represents western North Carolina, ravaged by the flooding after Helene, wrote this, quote, "The conspiracy theories, mile while frustrating, have done more harm than people realize. the spreading of falsehoods has diverted state, local, and federal resources from helping NC-11 recover toward refuting haters and hearsay and setting the record straight."
"He wrote, 'It is disappointing to write an email about this.' "
"Meanwhile, a man identifying himself as Anthony called into the Dan Abrams show on Sirius XM, saying his father-in-law in Asheville 'only believes the former president, and it is actually breaking up our family.'"
"My father-in-law lives just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. He was badly damaged by Hurricane Helene. He had refused all FEMA help because he's a hard core Trumper. He believes, he literally believes that if he accepts anything from FEMA, they'll take his house.
"I don't understand how so many people are under the spell of this freaking conman. i don't understand it."
"It's absolutely heartbreaking about your father-in-law. So sorry to hear it. I hope -- "
"It's hard. it's hard to even imagine it. He's lost almost everything, and he is refusing all help from the federal government and complaining to us that he doesn't have food, that he doesn't have the stuff he needs. Yet he won't accept the help! What the hell are we to do? We aren't in a position to fly across the country and help him. There's people begging us to get him to accept help, and he won't do it," Anthony said.
"I guarantee, I'm not the only one. I guarantee you, I'm not the only one."
Abrams asked if he could send him information to debunk the conspiracy theories.
"We've done all of that. We've sent him all the FEMA bulletins. We've sent him all the stuff from the fact-checkers. He doesn't believe it. He thinks it's all -- he just believes Trump. Literally, Dan. He just -- it's a cult. he's a cult member. I'm sorry to say it, he's a cult member. And he's my father-in-law. and it sucks."
