Trump Politicizes Hurricane Response with False Claims to Shift Blame onto Immigrants

Amid Hurricane Helene’s aftermath, Trump used lies to push his political agenda at a rally in Saginaw, MI. We dissect the entire event.

Written for MeidasTouch by Acyn.

During a campaign event in Saginaw, Michigan, Donald Trump continued his heated rhetoric against immigrants, undermined his surrogates by once again claiming he won the 2020 election, and, in an effort to scapegoat migrants and politicize a natural disaster, falsely claimed that the government isn’t providing resources to victims of Hurricane Helene because the funds are being allocated to migrants.

While much of the corporate media “sanewashes” Trump’s rallies, we refuse to do so here at the MeidasTouch Network. Notably, MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle and CNN’s Laura Coates did an excellent job on calling out Trump’s lies last night, and deserve credit. But far too many overlook Trump’s blatant lies and deranged statements, or worse, try to place them in a conventional political framing. So allow us to give you an unfiltered, unvarnished look into Trump’s event on Thursday in Saginaw.

While discussing the 2020 election, Trump said, “We won… It was a rigged election… That is why I am doing it again. If I thought I lost, I would not be doing this again.”

This statement contrasts with his own surrogates, who downplay questions about Senator JD Vance’s inability to say Trump lost the 2020 election. During an interview on CNN, Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer complained, “Why are you talking about something that’s four years ago?”—after being pressed on the issue by Kaitlan Collins. Collins pointed out that Trump is still raising the issue on the campaign trail.

Trump continues to reference Springfield, Ohio, in his speeches. During this event, he stated, “Springfield, Ohio. You see what’s happening. Would you like to have that happen to you?” Trump’s lies about Springfield have led to bomb threats and evacuations at schools, hospitals, and elsewhere in the town. Moreover, the migrants, who are there legally, have expressed fear as a result of the xenophobia stirred up by Trump and his allies.

Trump appeared confused when he told his supporters in Michigan that they are now a border state, demonstrating a geographical lapse.

He also blamed the Biden administration for a small crowd size at his event in Wisconsin, claiming 60,000 people were present but a lack of security reduced the crowd to 900.

By the way, here is a look into the crowd at Trump’s Michigan event. Yikes.

Trump reiterated his distaste for paying overtime, referencing methods he used to avoid paying workers time and a half.

He questioned the efficacy of wind energy, suggesting that if the wind stops blowing, people wouldn’t be able to watch television.

In an awkward moment, Trump said that former President Jimmy Carter is the happiest man before mentioning Carter’s wife’s passing, whose name he mispronounced.

He again accused Vice President Kamala Harris of lying about working at McDonald’s, insisting that she is unqualified to be president.

Regarding Hurricane Helene, Trump falsely claimed victims are not receiving federal aid because “they have no money because their money has been spent on people who shouldn’t be in our country.”

He also alleged funds were diverted from FEMA and given to “their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season.”

Trump’s false claims about FEMA and immigrants have been echoed on Fox News. On an episode of The Five, Jessica Tarlov pushed back on her cohosts’ assertions, pointing out they were conflating shelter services with disaster relief.

Tarlov argued that if Trump wanted to make an honest argument, he should focus on Congress, which had just adjourned for a six-week recess.

MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle called Trump’s statements on FEMA a lie and presented video of Trump’s running mate acknowledging the resources FEMA had provided.

CNN’s Laura Coates also fact-checked Trump’s claim, listing the federal resources given and highlighting praise from Republican governors for the federal response.