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Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump locked horns with CNN’s Dana Bash during a tense debate over the 2024 presidential election and the damage from Hurricane Helene.
“Lara, I want to ask you about something that the former president said last night on that stage, specifically about Hurricane Helene and your home state of North Carolina. He said that FEMA is only offering $750 to Americans who have had their homes destroyed. That’s not true. He’s also echoing conspiracy theorists online who falsely claim that the administration is redirecting disaster money for undocumented immigrants. That’s also not true. Why is he spreading misinformation in a crisis like that? And does that concern you about your fellow North Carolinians and how and whether they can actually get help?” Bash asked.
“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 have spent $650 million in fiscal year ‘24 on the migrant crisis that Kamala Harris was responsible for stopping and, by all accounts, she created by having an open door policy at our southern border, is infuriating to citizens of this country —” Lara Trump said before Bash cut her off.
Bash added: “Lara, let me just stop you right there. 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 assistance.”
“Well, Alejandro Mayorkas came out, Dana, and said that they are out of money in terms of their hurricane relief. We have another hurricane heading towards Florida right now,” Trump said.
“What they have said is that there is money — “ Bash began.
Trump declared: “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? People from my hometown of Wilmington are driving across the state six hours to go to the mountain and help people.”
“Yeah. It is bad,” Bash said before Trump said: “Why are they out of money?”
“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. And if people are not getting correct information, then they can’t go for the — for assistance, as they have been asked for — I just want to quickly play what Senator Thom Tillis — ” Bash said.
“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 —” Trump said.
“That’s a separate tranche of money. That’s a separate tranche of money. I want you to listen to what —” Bash jumped in to say.
“If anyone believes that this migrant crisis isn’t a disaster, every American — it is a big problem. And we’re seeing the results of it right now,” Trump declared.
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