Did Joe Biden say that there will be no more funds provided to support Hurricane Helene aid efforts?

Recently, we came across multiple posts on X featuring a video clip of U.S. President Joe Biden with the claim that he announced no further resources would be provided for Hurricane Helene relief efforts. In the video, when asked if more resources will be allocated to the hurricane’s victims, President Biden responds with “no” before indicating that a significant amount of resources has been allocated in advance, after which the video abruptly cuts off.

 

Origins of the video

We conducted reverse image searches on screenshots taken from the video clip circulating on social media and found that the footage originates from an interview with President Biden that was uploaded to C-SPAN(Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network). C-SPAN is a platform that televises US government proceedings and public affairs programming.

The video was taken at Dover Air Force Base on 29 September 2024, where President Biden was asked by reporters during a doorstop interview about a range of topics, including Hurricane Helene and the current hostilities in the Middle East.

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that made landfall on 26 September 2024 in the U.S., caused widespread devastation, particularly in North Carolina, resulting in significant property damage and over 100 deaths.

Image: C-SPAN

Upon reviewing the transcript of President Biden’s remarks, it becomes clear that his responses might have been misinterpreted to give the impression that no additional funding for disaster relief efforts would be forthcoming.

Reporter: “Do you have any words for the victims of the hurricane?”

Biden: “Yes, it’s tragic. As a matter of fact, they’re trying to get the exact number. My FEMA adviser is on the ground in Florida right now. There’s a distinction between the numbers that FEMA has used and the ones used by – by the locals. So, it’s – it really is amazing. You saw the photographs. It’s stunning.

Reporter: ” So  many — so — such a wide area.”

Biden: ” And we — we gave — are giving them all the — all — everything we have.  Were on the ground ahead of time.  So, we’re working hard.”

Reporter question: “Are there any more resources the federal government could be giving them?”

Biden: “No. We’ve given them — we have preplanned a significant amount of it, even though they didn’t ask for it yet — had — hadn’t asked for it yet.” 

[Extract taken from the transcript published by The White House]

 

Unpacking President Biden’s response

In reviewing press statements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government agency tasked with disaster response, it is evident that the federal government has taken proactive measures since Hurricane Helene emerged on their radars.

On 26 September 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration approved pre-landfall emergency declarations and escalated disaster response efforts. This included the deployment of 1,100 federal officials and the involvement of the American Red Cross. This may clarify President Biden’s remarks in the video clip, where he referred to “pre-planned” response efforts for those affected by Hurricane Helene. His comment likely alluded to these proactive measures, rather than a halt in future relief efforts.

In a follow-up statement on 30 September, FEMA outlined the scale of the disaster response in the affected states. To date, more than 3,500 personnel from the federal government have been deployed to support disaster response efforts across the impacted states. In addition, the agency had shipped over 1.9 million Meals Ready to Eat, more than 1 million litres of water, and 30 generators to the impacted areas.

Moreover, between 27 September to 1 October 2024, President Biden approved major disaster declarations in the affected states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These declarations aimed to provide additional funds to support affected individuals, including funds to support the procurement of essential items, grants for temporary housing and storm-related damage-related home repairs and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Furthermore, the day after President Biden’s remarks at Dover Air Force base, he indicated the potential need for a special congressional session to secure further aid for the victims of Hurricane Helene, highlighting the administration’s commitment to continued recovery efforts.

When cross-referencing the video clip with other news reports, it becomes clear that President Biden did not rule out further support for Hurricane Helene relief efforts. Since the televised media scrum, President Biden and his administration have continued to extend disaster relief support to the affected estates, as evidenced by ongoing federal assistance and aid measures. Hence, the claim that President Biden announced no further resources would be provided for Hurricane Helene relief efforts is false.

 

Weaponising disinformation for political gain

President Biden’s response to Hurricane Helene has come under increased scrutiny following a series of false claims propagated by 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump to his supporters.

For instance, Trump has asserted that the Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp was unable to reach President Biden, a claim which has been refuted by both President Biden and Governor Kemp. Despite these clarifications, social media posts continue to circulate Trump’s claims, perpetuating a misleading narrative that suggests the Biden administration, including fellow presidential candidate Kamala Harris, is turning a blind eye to the victims of Hurricane Helene.

Hence, it is important for us to examine the context of the viral posts circulating online to accurately assess the validity of the narratives we encounter.

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