As misinformation about recent natural disasters spreads across the United States, several congressional Republicans have stepped forward to denounce conspiracy theories being circulated by their own party members.
Representative Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, whose district was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene in late September, spoke out against “outrageous rumors” he said were spread by “untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos.”
Edwards urged constituents to rely on reputable sources for information, saying, “Nobody can control the weather.Please make sure you are fact-checking what you read online.”
The flooding which ravaged parts of North Carolina’s inland west, came as a surprise in a state typically accustomed to hurricane impacts along its Atlantic coastline.
Meanwhile, Florida is bracing for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to hit the state’s western coast directly.
One of the sources of misinformation about the disasters is fellow Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Greene used her congressional social media accounts to spread baseless claims about weather manipulation. “Ask your government if the weather is manipulated or controlled. Did you ever give permission to them to do it? Are you paying for it? Of course you are,” Greene posted on Monday.
Without naming Greene directly, Edwards pushed back against such conspiracy theories. “Please make sure you are fact-checking what you read online with a reputable source,” he said.
Representative Carlos Gimenez, a Republican from Florida, also condemned the false claims. In a post responding to Greene, Gimenez wrote, “News flash: Humans cannot create or control hurricanes. Anyone who thinks they can, needs to have their head examined.”
US Senator Thom Tillis, another Republican from North Carolina, called the spread of misinformation a “distraction” during an interview with CNN. “Many of these observations are not even from people on the ground,” he said.
President Joe Biden, in a briefing on Wednesday, also addressed the issue, criticising former President Donald Trump for leading what he called an “onslaught of lies.” Biden called Greene’s claims “bizarre” and “ridiculous,” adding, “It’s got to stop. In moments like this, there are no red or blue states.”
Despite requests, Greene’s office did not immediately respond for comment.