Vice President Harris called into CNN on Wednesday to talk about Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida, bashing former President Trump for his comments about the federal government’s response to the latest storms.
“It is dangerous, it is unconscionable, frankly, that anyone who considers themselves a leader would mislead desperate people to the point that those desperate people would not receive the aid to which they are entitled,” Harris told CNN’s Dana Bash.
“We all know it’s dangerous and the gamesmanship has to stop,” she continued. “At some point the politics has to end, especially in a moment of crisis.”
Harris added, “The last thing that they deserve is to have a so-called leader make them more afraid than they already are.”
Trump has amplified claims that the government is diverting disaster response funds to aid migrants and has shared other untrue claims, including that those impacted by Hurricane Helene are only receiving $750 in assistance and that there are no helicopters to rescue people in North Carolina after the storm.
Harris, on CNN, said she has spoken with local officials who are trying to combat misinformation and said she doesn’t know if they are Republicans or Democrats.
“Let’s let the folks who are on the ground do the work they need to do right now in real time,” she said. “It’s about assisting with evacuation, getting the correct information out, battling the misinformation and putting in place the resources that can hopefully mitigate against the predicable damage.”
When asked if Congress should return to Washington to pass more funding for disaster relief, Harris responded, “FEMA has what they need right now,” referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
She said the federal government expects Hurricane Milton to be “catastrophic and deadly.” The life-threatening hurricane is expected to make landfall Wednesday evening, and officials have called for mass evacuations.
Harris has not made an impromptu call into a major news network since becoming the Democratic nominee for president. She also called into the Weather Channel on Wednesday.
The vice president is currently on a media blitz in New York, where she participated in interviews with ABC’s “The View,” radio host Howard Stern and “Late Night with Stephen Colbert” on Tuesday.
President Biden earlier Wednesday called out Trump, as well as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), for spreading what he called “irresponsible” and “beyond ridiculous” claims about the hurricanes.
Greene wrote on the social platform X that “yes they can control the weather” last week when states were dealing with the damage from Hurricane Helene, which hit the southeastern U.S. late last month.
The White House and officials in impacted states have for days been trying to push back on misinformation surrounding the hurricane response. The Biden administration launched a fact sheet and a Reddit page intended to share the facts about the response.
Rep. Chuck Edwards (N.C.), a Republican who represents a district hit by Helene, posted a press release Tuesday debunking eight “myths” about the storm response, including multiple claims shared by Trump.