Biden denounces Trump’s ‘onslaught of lies’ as Milton approaches landfall
The president criticized former President Donald Trump’s incorrect claims regarding the federal response to hurricanes Helene and Milton, describing them as “reckless” and “irresponsible.”
TroibNews 
President Joe Biden delivered a strong condemnation on Wednesday of what he termed “a reckless, irresponsible, relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies” regarding the federal response to Hurricane Helene and now Hurricane Milton, which is heading toward Florida's Gulf Coast.
Biden specifically called out former President Donald Trump, stating that he "has led the onslaught of lies.” Recently, Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has propagated false claims about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s actions, including the inaccurate assertion that victims would only receive $750 payments and the unfounded allegation that disaster funds are being diverted to support undocumented immigrants.
“It’s beyond ridiculous. It’s got to stop,” Biden remarked from the White House. “In moments like this, there are no red or blue states. There’s one United States of America, where neighbors are helping neighbors."
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell also addressed the spread of misinformation on Wednesday, emphasizing that both she and Biden believe such falsehoods could deter individuals from seeking required assistance.
“I do believe that the volume of the misinformation is starting to go down, but we need to continue to now remain focused on what our mission is,” Criswell said during a morning briefing.
In response, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, argued that the former president has been informed by residents in hurricane-affected areas that the federal response “has, in fact, been a disaster.”
“The only misinformation is coming from the Biden-Harris Administration,” she added.
As Milton approached Florida, federal officials issued increasingly urgent warnings alongside updates on their thorough — and in some cases, record-setting — storm preparedness. Although Milton had slightly weakened to a Category 4 hurricane, it was expected to deliver significant impacts upon landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. After making landfall, the storm will travel across the state before moving out over the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“Hurricane Milton is going to be a deadly and catastrophic storm,” Criswell stated at a 10 a.m. briefing. “It will bring massive storm surge, high winds and severe flooding as it moves across the state of Florida."
As of Wednesday morning, fifty-one of Florida's 67 counties were under a state of emergency. Evacuation orders and curfews were being implemented across several counties in anticipation of the storm.
“We are bracing and we are prepared to receive a major hit,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a morning briefing.
State preparations involved support from other states, as DeSantis noted that he had been in contact with Biden and FEMA officials. Biden also reassured the governors of storm-affected states that he is ready to respond to federal aid requests, emphasizing that efforts would “continue until the job is done.”
In her own remarks streamed on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee opposing Trump, reiterated the importance of heeding evacuation orders, echoing calls from emergency managers.
“Many of you are tough and you’ve ridden out these hurricanes before. This one is going to be different, and so we ask you that by every measure you understand that it’s going to be more dangerous, more deadly and more catastrophic,” Harris warned.
Harris also cautioned against individuals or companies that might exploit hurricane victims by overcharging for goods and services in the aftermath of Milton.
“To any company or individual that might use this crisis to exploit people who are desperate for help through illegal fraud or price gouging, whether it be at the gas pump, the airport or the hotel counter, know that we are monitoring these behaviors and the situation on the ground very closely, and anyone taking advantage of consumers will be held accountable," she stated.
As part of the coordinated federal response, Criswell announced that an additional 1,200 search-and-rescue personnel have been sent to Florida, joining approximately 1,000 already present from previous deployments.
Florida National Guard mobilized about 6,000 members, augmented by 3,000 National Guard members from other states.
“This is the largest Florida National Guard search-and-rescue mobilization in the entire history of the state,” DeSantis reported.
DeSantis added that the impending storm led to the “largest staging of utility workers and linemen in advance of the storm any time in American history,” with 500 out-of-state law enforcement officers also dispatched.
“There's going to be a lot of damage from the storm. There's going to be opportunities for people to try to take advantage of that,” DeSantis said. “My message to you is don't even think of that. We are going to come down hard on you.”
Mike Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, stated at an 11 a.m. briefing that Milton remained a “very powerful Category 4 hurricane” with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. The storm was located roughly 190 miles southwest of Tampa and was moving northeast at 17 mph.
The highest storm surge projections have shifted southward, with expected surges of 10 to 15 feet affecting areas from Anna Maria Island to Boca Grande. The greater Tampa Bay area and points north anticipate 8 to 12 feet of surge, posing risks to homes and businesses.
Heavy rainfall and tornadoes from Milton's leading edge have already begun impacting parts of central and northeast Florida, and Brennan warned, “conditions are going to deteriorate rapidly as we go through the next few hours."
Preparations included the Army Corps of Engineers deploying personnel in places expected to be affected by Milton. They also positioned 170 contracted personnel for critical missions, such as restoring power and monitoring landfills for post-storm debris.
One temporary power team was stationed in Georgia, equipped with generators, while another is headed to Eglin Air Force Base to assist, according to Army Corps spokesperson Gene Pawlik.
Criswell from FEMA confirmed that she has been “providing regular updates to President Biden and Vice President Harris,” explaining that they have instructed her to ensure Floridians receive all possible support in the coming days.
While Milton is not expected to strike the Everglades directly, levees, weirs, spillways, and floodgates from south of Orlando to the Everglades National Park will be locked down and closely monitored for potential overspills or structural failures.
Michelle Roberts, a spokesperson for the Army Corps' Jacksonville District, noted that they anticipate losing additional sand from beach reconstruction projects that were already heavily eroded by Helene. All work on these projects will be delayed until post-storm assessments are completed.
“This is going to be a serious storm, one that can forever change communities that are still recovering from Helene,” Criswell stated.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
Biden specifically called out former President Donald Trump, stating that he "has led the onslaught of lies.” Recently, Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has propagated false claims about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s actions, including the inaccurate assertion that victims would only receive $750 payments and the unfounded allegation that disaster funds are being diverted to support undocumented immigrants.
“It’s beyond ridiculous. It’s got to stop,” Biden remarked from the White House. “In moments like this, there are no red or blue states. There’s one United States of America, where neighbors are helping neighbors."
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell also addressed the spread of misinformation on Wednesday, emphasizing that both she and Biden believe such falsehoods could deter individuals from seeking required assistance.
“I do believe that the volume of the misinformation is starting to go down, but we need to continue to now remain focused on what our mission is,” Criswell said during a morning briefing.
In response, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, argued that the former president has been informed by residents in hurricane-affected areas that the federal response “has, in fact, been a disaster.”
“The only misinformation is coming from the Biden-Harris Administration,” she added.
As Milton approached Florida, federal officials issued increasingly urgent warnings alongside updates on their thorough — and in some cases, record-setting — storm preparedness. Although Milton had slightly weakened to a Category 4 hurricane, it was expected to deliver significant impacts upon landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. After making landfall, the storm will travel across the state before moving out over the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“Hurricane Milton is going to be a deadly and catastrophic storm,” Criswell stated at a 10 a.m. briefing. “It will bring massive storm surge, high winds and severe flooding as it moves across the state of Florida."
As of Wednesday morning, fifty-one of Florida's 67 counties were under a state of emergency. Evacuation orders and curfews were being implemented across several counties in anticipation of the storm.
“We are bracing and we are prepared to receive a major hit,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a morning briefing.
State preparations involved support from other states, as DeSantis noted that he had been in contact with Biden and FEMA officials. Biden also reassured the governors of storm-affected states that he is ready to respond to federal aid requests, emphasizing that efforts would “continue until the job is done.”
In her own remarks streamed on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee opposing Trump, reiterated the importance of heeding evacuation orders, echoing calls from emergency managers.
“Many of you are tough and you’ve ridden out these hurricanes before. This one is going to be different, and so we ask you that by every measure you understand that it’s going to be more dangerous, more deadly and more catastrophic,” Harris warned.
Harris also cautioned against individuals or companies that might exploit hurricane victims by overcharging for goods and services in the aftermath of Milton.
“To any company or individual that might use this crisis to exploit people who are desperate for help through illegal fraud or price gouging, whether it be at the gas pump, the airport or the hotel counter, know that we are monitoring these behaviors and the situation on the ground very closely, and anyone taking advantage of consumers will be held accountable," she stated.
As part of the coordinated federal response, Criswell announced that an additional 1,200 search-and-rescue personnel have been sent to Florida, joining approximately 1,000 already present from previous deployments.
Florida National Guard mobilized about 6,000 members, augmented by 3,000 National Guard members from other states.
“This is the largest Florida National Guard search-and-rescue mobilization in the entire history of the state,” DeSantis reported.
DeSantis added that the impending storm led to the “largest staging of utility workers and linemen in advance of the storm any time in American history,” with 500 out-of-state law enforcement officers also dispatched.
“There's going to be a lot of damage from the storm. There's going to be opportunities for people to try to take advantage of that,” DeSantis said. “My message to you is don't even think of that. We are going to come down hard on you.”
Mike Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, stated at an 11 a.m. briefing that Milton remained a “very powerful Category 4 hurricane” with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. The storm was located roughly 190 miles southwest of Tampa and was moving northeast at 17 mph.
The highest storm surge projections have shifted southward, with expected surges of 10 to 15 feet affecting areas from Anna Maria Island to Boca Grande. The greater Tampa Bay area and points north anticipate 8 to 12 feet of surge, posing risks to homes and businesses.
Heavy rainfall and tornadoes from Milton's leading edge have already begun impacting parts of central and northeast Florida, and Brennan warned, “conditions are going to deteriorate rapidly as we go through the next few hours."
Preparations included the Army Corps of Engineers deploying personnel in places expected to be affected by Milton. They also positioned 170 contracted personnel for critical missions, such as restoring power and monitoring landfills for post-storm debris.
One temporary power team was stationed in Georgia, equipped with generators, while another is headed to Eglin Air Force Base to assist, according to Army Corps spokesperson Gene Pawlik.
Criswell from FEMA confirmed that she has been “providing regular updates to President Biden and Vice President Harris,” explaining that they have instructed her to ensure Floridians receive all possible support in the coming days.
While Milton is not expected to strike the Everglades directly, levees, weirs, spillways, and floodgates from south of Orlando to the Everglades National Park will be locked down and closely monitored for potential overspills or structural failures.
Michelle Roberts, a spokesperson for the Army Corps' Jacksonville District, noted that they anticipate losing additional sand from beach reconstruction projects that were already heavily eroded by Helene. All work on these projects will be delayed until post-storm assessments are completed.
“This is going to be a serious storm, one that can forever change communities that are still recovering from Helene,” Criswell stated.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
