Hurricane Milton Live: Biden and Harris condemn storm misinformation ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden warned that Hurricane Milton had immense destructive power and urged individuals to seek safe refuge, while denouncing the spread of false information about the storm as antithetical to American values.

Biden declared, “It's harmful to those who need help,” referring to the misinformation circulating about the storm and the government's response.

Ahead of the Nov. 5 election, Republican former President Donald Trump, who is challenging Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, has sought to cast the Biden-Harris administration's handling of recent storms as inadequate. This includes the unfounded claim that aid and funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were diverted to migrants.

Vice President Harris highlighted the danger of such misinformation in an interview with CNN, stating: “It's dangerous – it's frankly incomprehensible that someone who would consider himself a leader would mislead desperate people to the point where these desperate people that they wouldn’t get the help they deserve, and that’s why I call that dangerous.”

When asked about Trump's motivations for spreading misinformation, Biden expressed uncertainty, noting, “I just don't know.” You can speculate, but I just think it's – I've used the term more than I've ever used it in my career.” – It's un-American. It's not who the fuck we are.

At least three Republican congressmen, including Rep. Chuck Edwards, whose North Carolina district was hit hard by flooding from Hurricane Helene, condemned conspiracy theories about the storms spread by their fellow party members.

To combat misinformation, FEMA has created a dedicated page on its website called “Hurricane Rumor Response.” The purpose of this page is to dispel rumors, including the false claim, that the agency is preventing people in Florida from seeking help.