CNN’s Dana Bash Busts Lara Trump’s Wild Claims About FEMA Money Going to Migrants By Playing Her a Clip of GOP Senator Calling Critics ‘Clueless’
CNN’s Dana Bash challenged RNC co-chair Lara Trump’s false claims about the federal government directing disaster relief money to migrants in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
In a contentious interview on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday, Bash pressed the RNC co-chair about comments made by former President Donald Trump on Saturday during a rally in Butler, PA.
“He said that FEMA is only offering $750 to Americans who have had their homes destroyed,” Bash said. “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?”
“I’m incredibly concerned in North Carolina,” Lara Trump replied. “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’ve 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!”
Bash interjected to note the $750 stipend from FEMA is merely an initial payment while the full damages are being calculated. Lara Trump replied by claiming citizens in Western North Carolina are “screaming for help.”
“It is bad there,” Bash acknoweledged. “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.”
“You have migrants being housed in luxury hotels in New York City,” Lara Trump replied. “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 Florida.”
“That’s a separate tranche of money,” Bash replied.
The CNN anchor then played comments from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) — who lauded the federal response to the hurricane during a press conference on Friday in Asheville.
“I’m actually impressed with how much attention was paid to a region that wasn’t likely to have experienced the impact that they did,” Tillis said. He added, “For anybody who thinks that any level of government, anybody here could have been prepared precisely for what we’re dealing with here clearly are clueless… But right now, I’m out here to say that we’re doing a good job.”
“He and others are saying ‘please’ to the former president and to others stop spreading misinformation because it’s hurting people in North Carolina,” Bash said.
Lara Trump went on to downplay the comments from a senator from her own party who is on the ground in the affected area.
“I’m so glad to hear that he feels that way,” she said. “But it’s coming directly from people there. You can go online and you can look at videos of people recording themselves and posting online saying, ‘we need help, no one has come here, we have nothing, and no one has even addressed the situation in my neighborhood or my area.’ So I’m glad to hear that. He feels very good about that. And I honestly I hope that we hear more of that.”
Watch above, via CNN.
