Trump’s Xenophobic Lies about Hurricane Relief

This is fascistic rhetoric.

Trump is directly lying that the federal government is not providing aid to North Carolina and, worse, he is stating that it is because the money that would have been spent on such aid has been spent on “illegal immigrants.” He further states that this is because the goal is for those immigrants to vote.

The depth of the dishonesty alone should be enough to see him as unfit for office. But when a politician tells the public that needed aid is being spent on some alien, unworthy other, this is simply fascistic rhetoric.

As is the notion that mass deportations will lower housing costs.

This is all exactly the kinds of things that Adolph Hitler said about Jews. And that is not hyperbole.

Also:

And, of course, all the Springfield stuff fits into the same category.

[Update from Matt]

To Steven’s point, FEMA has taken the step of creating a webpage in an attempt to get in front of these rumors and lies. From it:

Rumor: Funding for FEMA disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border related issues.

Fact:

This is false. No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.

October 3, 2024

Also, as we have seen with Trump and Vance’s racist lies about migrants in Springfield or about Biden not being accessible to Governors in impacted Hurricane States, local Republicans at all levels are finding themselves forced to address these lies. For example this posting from a Republican State Senator:

Again, there is no equivalent to this behavior. By that, I mean either from the Harris/Walz campaign, the Biden administration, or any modern Republican (leaving aside Trump’s previous administration) or Democratic administration or Presidential candidate. Anyone who pretends that isn’t the case “because all Politicians lie” is just demonstrating how unsophisticated their thinking is.

FILED UNDER: 2024 Election, US Politics, , ,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. Not the IT Dept. says:

    Hey Kevin, can I ask a small favor? Why don’t you mention even once who is spewing all these lies about what’s happening in your state regarding post-Helene cleanup and recovery? I’ll give you a hint – it rhymes with “Chump” – which is what you are. I suppose it’s nice that you’re finally saying even this little bit but if you care so much about stopping “this conspiracy theory junk” then just flat out say Trump is lying. Can you do that?

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  2. gVOR10 says:

    In a perverse way, Trump is probably being honest. He would deny aid based on party, as the last link in Dr. Taylor’s post shows. (Also an example of the extent to which people around Trump had to manage him.) He can’t comprehend that Biden wouldn’t do the same.

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  3. charontwo says:

    This is all exactly the kinds of things that Adolph Hitler said about Jews. And that is not hyperbole.

    According to his first wife, Trump kept a copy of “My New Order” in a locked cabinet in his bedroom, this being Hitler’s collection of his speeches.

    3
  4. charontwo says:

    This is all exactly the kinds of things that Adolph Hitler said about Jews. And that is not hyperbole.

    According to his first wife, Trump kept a copy of “My New Order” in a locked cabinet in his bedroom, this being Hitler’s collection of his speeches.

    1
  5. Jay L Gischer says:

    It seems to me that as long as the polls aren’t moving favorably for Trump, the lies are going to get bigger and bigger and more outrageous. I don’t know that Trump understands the concept of “too much”. However, I’m not sure how many of his supporters do. It’s gotta be some, right?

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  6. Gavin says:

    Trump hasn’t accepted a loss in his life. You think he’s going to be OK losing to a black woman?
    If I know anything about scammers in heist movies, there’s always a sequel.

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  7. just nutha says:

    @Not the IT Dept.:

    but if you care so much about stopping “this conspiracy theory junk” then just flat out say Trump is lying. Can you do that?

    Unfortunately, no. Not as long as he wants to be reelected.

    3
  8. Lucysfootball says:

    @Not the IT Dept.: Hey Kevin, can I ask a small favor?
    Kevin is like the mythical “good Germans”. He knows some bad things are happening, but he has no idea why. For all he knows it could be both sides. IOW, he has no integrity, and certainly has no cojones.

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  9. Kathy says:

    @charontwo:

    One quote attributed to the earlier Donald Trump* is something to the effect that people will more readily believe a big lie than a small one.

    So, expect the lies to grow about the size of Jupiter.

    *I’ve said this is the vilest name I can call anyone.

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  10. Gustopher says:

    It would be nice if our news media treated this as the very serious problem it is.

    We either have a major party candidate lying his ass off with racist shit, or a major party candidate who has lost his fucking mind and believes this shit. Either would be bad.

    I guess he could also be amazingly gullible. That would also be bad.

    That all seems a touch worse than Biden being old.

    If they want to both-sides it, Walz was wrong about when he was in China and where he was when he saw Tiannamin Square on TV. He was also apparently only an assistant coach.

    I would actually kind of love the both-sides article, flipping back and forth between inaccuracies.

    Trump says that if he loses it will be because of the Jews.

    Walz claimed to have gotten an award from the Rotary Club when he was a teenager, when it was actually the Junior Rotary Club.

    Trump claims that Italian satellites changed the votes in the 2020 election.

    Walz said that he retired from the national guard at the rank he was acting as rather than the rank he achieved.

    It would be sad comedy gold. And that’s the best comedy gold.

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  11. Paine says:

    Great. One less FEMA staff member with boots on the ground because they have to stay in the office and keep their fact checking website updated as each new lies spews out of Trump’s mouth.

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  12. CSK says:

    @Gavin:

    I’m seriously considering the possibility that the trouble when he loses to Harris will be much worse than Jan. 6.

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  13. Tony W says:

    @Gustopher: Walz said he was going out to grab a donut, but in fact he was getting enough donuts for everyone. Such a liar!

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  14. Fog says:

    So it is now OK to use the word “fascist”? And not as a vague slur, like “woke,” but as a deeply studied political phenomenon. (See Paxton 2005, The Anatomy of Fascism for a summary) One aspect that unites all varieties of fascism is the use of violence. It doesn’t burst out spontaneously due to frustration or rage, it is necessary part of the program from the beginning. They were not a majority in either Italy or Germany in the early 1900s and the violence of the Brownshirts and the Blackshirts was used to intimidate the majority into compliance. It is for this reason that making fun of fascists is not simply puerile humor. A group that needs to instill fear to succeed cannot withstand being the butt of jokes, period.
    I share CSK’s concern that there may be violence from the MAGAs win or lose. White Supremacy has ruled the South from the first arrival of Europeans and it has always been enforced with force.

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  15. Paul L. says:

    CDC: Guns : Disease
    FEMA. Refugees : Emergency Management
    Rupar as honest source.

  16. de stijl says:

    @CSK:

    I’m way too old to be a proper street deterrent to actual brown shirts. That could, possibly, be an actual thing in the near future. I hope not. But it might happen. They tried this shit before the last time he lost.

    I can do logistics. I can set you up a kick-ass database. I will do my part.

  17. Raoul says:

    Trump, Fox and the rest of the acolytes are trying to hard. They started attacking FEMA immediately after the storm hit without even allowing prep work to begin. I don’t even think the most rabid partisans are buying the criticism. Everyone knows it takes time. If the partisan critics had started a bit later with their criticism maybe some of it would have stuck, but as it it is, they have lost all credibility. And to be sure, there are lots eyes overseeing the recovery efforts and valid criticism may indeed be warranted, but as of now, it is too soon. And for those wannabe saviors, please get out of the way.