Elon Musk Spreads Hurricane Misinformation, Supports Trump
The billionaire is leveraging his social media platform to disseminate untruths that, according to officials, are obstructing recovery efforts.
TroibNews 
Elon Musk is leveraging his social media platform to propagate election conspiracy theories regarding U.S. disasters, particularly complicating federal responses to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Musk has been instrumental in circulating claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has “actively blocked” donations for Helene victims and is “seizing goods … and locking them away to state they are their own.” FEMA officials have dismissed these allegations as false and pointed to state and local Republican leaders who have praised the agency's assistance.
On X, Musk additionally amplified claims that authorities in North Carolina had “taken control to stop people helping” affected residents and suggested that sheriffs were threatening to arrest FEMA personnel “if they hinder rescue and aid work.” Much of his rhetoric revolved around unfounded assertions that immigrants had already drained federal disaster funds, a claim FEMA has refuted.
“FEMA used up its budget ferrying illegals into the country instead of saving American lives. Treason,” Musk alleged without providing evidence while interspersing hurricane damage messages with political attacks against Democrats.
Musk, who owns X and is the world’s richest individual, serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. SpaceX's Starlink satellite service is aiding communication restoration in areas affected by Helene's extensive flooding in the Southeast, and Musk is also a major donor to former President Donald Trump, who has used his own social media platform to make unfounded claims that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas."
FEMA leaders, without naming Musk or Trump, indicated on Tuesday that misinformation is hindering support for Helene survivors, deterring some from seeking needed help and negatively impacting the morale of emergency responders facing threats to their safety.
“The wave of false conspiracy theories is absolutely the worst I have ever seen,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell during a Tuesday morning briefing. She noted that the agency has a longstanding rumor control page to counter scams that often proliferate after disasters. “I anticipated some of this, but not to the extent that we’re seeing.”
“It’s just really unfortunate that [people] continue to try to create this level of fear in these communities that is impeding our ability to do our job at the level that we need to do it, but we’re not going to let it deter us,” Criswell continued. “We are going to continue to be in these communities and support them for whatever they need.”
FEMA and allied agencies are currently aiding residents in states including Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina as they recover from Helene, with additional aid expected in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches landfall on Wednesday.
Republicans, such as North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, have called for an end to the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation. "Many of these observations are not even from people on the ground," he stated on CBS’s "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "I believe that we have to stay focused on rescue operations, recovery operations, clearing operations, and we don't need any of these distractions on the ground. It's at the expense of the hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their lives."
Vice President Harris criticized Trump and his allies for “playing political games” while lives are still at risk from storm damage. “It’s profound and it is the height of irresponsibility and frankly callousness,” she remarked on "The View" this Tuesday.
Musk's campaign of misinformation emerges amid a heated presidential election and political attacks, coinciding with the aftermath of Helene and the looming impact of Hurricane Milton in pivotal swing states.
Federal officials have issued warnings about Milton, predicting life-threatening storm surges for vast areas of Florida’s vulnerable west coast, with tropical storm force winds expected as soon as Wednesday morning. The Category 4 storm, with winds clocked at 155 mph as of Tuesday afternoon, has set the record as the third-fastest intensifying tropical cyclone historically, according to National Weather Service Director Ken Graham.
Among the biggest concerns are Milton's predicted trajectory toward or near Tampa Bay, a region home to over 3 million people that has not experienced a direct hit from a major hurricane since 1921. Predictive losses from such storms could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, planners warn.
“It’s a very serious situation,” Graham emphasized.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for counties along the Florida Gulf Coast, with forecasts predicting Milton could bring 10 to 15 feet of storm surge to communities still recovering from Helene’s aftermath. Many survivors will face significant challenges in rebuilding their homes and lives upon their return.
False narratives surrounding natural disasters complicate disaster response logistics, which often depend on survivor cooperation with various authorities, FEMA leaders warned this week. They cautioned that conspiracy theories have already hindered rescue and recovery operations.
In detailing harmful misinformation, Keith Turi, FEMA’s acting associate administrator for response and recovery, specified rumors—like claims that FEMA was “confiscating supplies” or only offering $750 in total assistance to storm victims—that are detrimental to FEMA’s efforts.
“The misinformation is extremely damaging to the response efforts from Helene and from any disaster,” he said. “It is reducing the likelihood that survivors will come to FEMA in a trusting way to register for assistance.”
Turi acknowledged that governors, many of whom are Republican, have assisted in dispelling some inaccuracies. “We've had nothing but positive engagement with them and coordination and also recognition that we all need to work together for combating misinformation and making sure that everybody has the best information that they need,” he said.
With disaster-stricken areas cut off from traditional communication and authentic reports of response efforts limited, figures like Musk are exploiting misinformation and conspiracy theories to fill the void, according to Michael Rothschild, a conspiracy theory expert and author.
“No one else is telling you anything, so you're going with the information that is being put in front of you and that already kind of ties into the things that you already believe,” Rothschild noted. “So if you already believe that the federal government is corrupt and that Kamala Harris would put her thumb on the scale to interfere with disaster relief efforts to kill off Trump voters, well, you're going to share things that reaffirm that belief.”
Musk has cultivated a vast audience that sees him as a “forbidden truth-teller," leading to the rapid amplification of his falsehoods.
Both Republicans and Democrats, along with nonpartisan officials, have pushed back against Musk's rumors—as well as similar claims from Trump, who has made even bolder accusations regarding aid blockage to Republican-leaning areas. Local GOP officials claim that federal agencies and officials have maintained close communication.
Musk's spread of conspiracy theories comes as he prepares to campaign for Trump next month ahead of the November election, focusing on Pennsylvania.
FEMA has addressed some of the conspiracy theories circulating, particularly those echoed by Musk and Trump suggesting that the agency's budget has been affected by immigration: “This is false. No money is being diverted from disaster response needs.”
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, criticized both Musk and Trump for propagating conspiracy theories. “As we continue our unprecedented response to Hurricane Helene, the nation is beginning to understand that impacted areas have been the target of a relentless vortex of disinformation, dialed up by bad actors and platforms like X,” Cooper stated on Musk’s platform. "Politicians, billionaires and grifters who peddle lies during a time of crisis should be held accountable."
Following Musk’s complaints about "belligerent government incompetence" impeding Starlink deliveries, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted in response that “No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights.” He further invited Musk to contact him directly.
Buttigieg later clarified that Musk’s comments stemmed from a misunderstanding of the processes for operating in a disaster zone. “What we found out was actually happening was the FAA was not closing down any airspace,” he explained. “But there was an issue with pilots who were helping get Starlink equipment to where it needed to be, having the right information. We worked that out with local authorities and were able to take care of it.”
Following their conversation, Musk expressed gratitude to Buttigieg on X: “Just wanted to note that Sec Buttigieg is on the ball.” In a Monday interview with Tucker Carlson, Musk praised Buttigieg for addressing “insane” flight planning requirements.
“I want to give Buttigieg some credit here,” Musk remarked. “When I complained about it, he reacted in a very levelheaded way. And he reached out to me, and he called me. And we discussed the issue, got to the bottom of it, and he fixed it.”
Musk and X did not respond to requests for comment.
A Transportation Department official, who spoke anonymously to provide candid insights, suggested that Buttigieg did not personally intervene. Instead, the official noted that the discussion was primarily meant to clarify the flight restrictions and procedures, as well as provide Musk with contact information.
The FAA maintains a notification system to inform pilots of where they are allowed to fly, a process that had already been established before Musk’s tweets.
Becca Gallas, director of North Carolina’s Department of Transportation aviation division, emphasized that coordination among agencies to manage flight restrictions had been ongoing “well in advance of any external influence.” She added that NCDOT did not alter any procedures to accommodate Starlink and supply relief flights.
Globally, Musk and X have faced penalties for what multiple governments characterize as disinformation and hate speech. Brazil’s highest court, for example, banned X from the country this year after it allegedly failed to deactivate accounts spreading illegal disinformation. The European Union has also charged X with breaching social media regulations by enabling misleading disinformation.
In the U.S., some Republican state lawmakers have urged conservative influencers to halt the spread of false information. “PLEASE help stop this junk,” North Carolina GOP state Senator Kevin Corbin urged his Facebook followers, highlighting false narratives like Antarctic weather control and FEMA stealing donations.
A fellow legislator reportedly received 15 calls in one day about similar untruths. “I’m growing a bit weary of intentional distractions,” Corbin remarked.
The following day, Musk amplified some of those same false claims to his 200 million followers, responding with a single word: “Wow.”
Zack Colman, Oriana Pawlyk, and Mike Lee contributed to this report.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
Musk has been instrumental in circulating claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has “actively blocked” donations for Helene victims and is “seizing goods … and locking them away to state they are their own.” FEMA officials have dismissed these allegations as false and pointed to state and local Republican leaders who have praised the agency's assistance.
On X, Musk additionally amplified claims that authorities in North Carolina had “taken control to stop people helping” affected residents and suggested that sheriffs were threatening to arrest FEMA personnel “if they hinder rescue and aid work.” Much of his rhetoric revolved around unfounded assertions that immigrants had already drained federal disaster funds, a claim FEMA has refuted.
“FEMA used up its budget ferrying illegals into the country instead of saving American lives. Treason,” Musk alleged without providing evidence while interspersing hurricane damage messages with political attacks against Democrats.
Musk, who owns X and is the world’s richest individual, serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. SpaceX's Starlink satellite service is aiding communication restoration in areas affected by Helene's extensive flooding in the Southeast, and Musk is also a major donor to former President Donald Trump, who has used his own social media platform to make unfounded claims that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas."
FEMA leaders, without naming Musk or Trump, indicated on Tuesday that misinformation is hindering support for Helene survivors, deterring some from seeking needed help and negatively impacting the morale of emergency responders facing threats to their safety.
“The wave of false conspiracy theories is absolutely the worst I have ever seen,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell during a Tuesday morning briefing. She noted that the agency has a longstanding rumor control page to counter scams that often proliferate after disasters. “I anticipated some of this, but not to the extent that we’re seeing.”
“It’s just really unfortunate that [people] continue to try to create this level of fear in these communities that is impeding our ability to do our job at the level that we need to do it, but we’re not going to let it deter us,” Criswell continued. “We are going to continue to be in these communities and support them for whatever they need.”
FEMA and allied agencies are currently aiding residents in states including Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina as they recover from Helene, with additional aid expected in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches landfall on Wednesday.
Republicans, such as North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, have called for an end to the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation. "Many of these observations are not even from people on the ground," he stated on CBS’s "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "I believe that we have to stay focused on rescue operations, recovery operations, clearing operations, and we don't need any of these distractions on the ground. It's at the expense of the hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their lives."
Vice President Harris criticized Trump and his allies for “playing political games” while lives are still at risk from storm damage. “It’s profound and it is the height of irresponsibility and frankly callousness,” she remarked on "The View" this Tuesday.
Musk's campaign of misinformation emerges amid a heated presidential election and political attacks, coinciding with the aftermath of Helene and the looming impact of Hurricane Milton in pivotal swing states.
Federal officials have issued warnings about Milton, predicting life-threatening storm surges for vast areas of Florida’s vulnerable west coast, with tropical storm force winds expected as soon as Wednesday morning. The Category 4 storm, with winds clocked at 155 mph as of Tuesday afternoon, has set the record as the third-fastest intensifying tropical cyclone historically, according to National Weather Service Director Ken Graham.
Among the biggest concerns are Milton's predicted trajectory toward or near Tampa Bay, a region home to over 3 million people that has not experienced a direct hit from a major hurricane since 1921. Predictive losses from such storms could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, planners warn.
“It’s a very serious situation,” Graham emphasized.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for counties along the Florida Gulf Coast, with forecasts predicting Milton could bring 10 to 15 feet of storm surge to communities still recovering from Helene’s aftermath. Many survivors will face significant challenges in rebuilding their homes and lives upon their return.
False narratives surrounding natural disasters complicate disaster response logistics, which often depend on survivor cooperation with various authorities, FEMA leaders warned this week. They cautioned that conspiracy theories have already hindered rescue and recovery operations.
In detailing harmful misinformation, Keith Turi, FEMA’s acting associate administrator for response and recovery, specified rumors—like claims that FEMA was “confiscating supplies” or only offering $750 in total assistance to storm victims—that are detrimental to FEMA’s efforts.
“The misinformation is extremely damaging to the response efforts from Helene and from any disaster,” he said. “It is reducing the likelihood that survivors will come to FEMA in a trusting way to register for assistance.”
Turi acknowledged that governors, many of whom are Republican, have assisted in dispelling some inaccuracies. “We've had nothing but positive engagement with them and coordination and also recognition that we all need to work together for combating misinformation and making sure that everybody has the best information that they need,” he said.
With disaster-stricken areas cut off from traditional communication and authentic reports of response efforts limited, figures like Musk are exploiting misinformation and conspiracy theories to fill the void, according to Michael Rothschild, a conspiracy theory expert and author.
“No one else is telling you anything, so you're going with the information that is being put in front of you and that already kind of ties into the things that you already believe,” Rothschild noted. “So if you already believe that the federal government is corrupt and that Kamala Harris would put her thumb on the scale to interfere with disaster relief efforts to kill off Trump voters, well, you're going to share things that reaffirm that belief.”
Musk has cultivated a vast audience that sees him as a “forbidden truth-teller," leading to the rapid amplification of his falsehoods.
Both Republicans and Democrats, along with nonpartisan officials, have pushed back against Musk's rumors—as well as similar claims from Trump, who has made even bolder accusations regarding aid blockage to Republican-leaning areas. Local GOP officials claim that federal agencies and officials have maintained close communication.
Musk's spread of conspiracy theories comes as he prepares to campaign for Trump next month ahead of the November election, focusing on Pennsylvania.
FEMA has addressed some of the conspiracy theories circulating, particularly those echoed by Musk and Trump suggesting that the agency's budget has been affected by immigration: “This is false. No money is being diverted from disaster response needs.”
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, criticized both Musk and Trump for propagating conspiracy theories. “As we continue our unprecedented response to Hurricane Helene, the nation is beginning to understand that impacted areas have been the target of a relentless vortex of disinformation, dialed up by bad actors and platforms like X,” Cooper stated on Musk’s platform. "Politicians, billionaires and grifters who peddle lies during a time of crisis should be held accountable."
Following Musk’s complaints about "belligerent government incompetence" impeding Starlink deliveries, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted in response that “No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights.” He further invited Musk to contact him directly.
Buttigieg later clarified that Musk’s comments stemmed from a misunderstanding of the processes for operating in a disaster zone. “What we found out was actually happening was the FAA was not closing down any airspace,” he explained. “But there was an issue with pilots who were helping get Starlink equipment to where it needed to be, having the right information. We worked that out with local authorities and were able to take care of it.”
Following their conversation, Musk expressed gratitude to Buttigieg on X: “Just wanted to note that Sec Buttigieg is on the ball.” In a Monday interview with Tucker Carlson, Musk praised Buttigieg for addressing “insane” flight planning requirements.
“I want to give Buttigieg some credit here,” Musk remarked. “When I complained about it, he reacted in a very levelheaded way. And he reached out to me, and he called me. And we discussed the issue, got to the bottom of it, and he fixed it.”
Musk and X did not respond to requests for comment.
A Transportation Department official, who spoke anonymously to provide candid insights, suggested that Buttigieg did not personally intervene. Instead, the official noted that the discussion was primarily meant to clarify the flight restrictions and procedures, as well as provide Musk with contact information.
The FAA maintains a notification system to inform pilots of where they are allowed to fly, a process that had already been established before Musk’s tweets.
Becca Gallas, director of North Carolina’s Department of Transportation aviation division, emphasized that coordination among agencies to manage flight restrictions had been ongoing “well in advance of any external influence.” She added that NCDOT did not alter any procedures to accommodate Starlink and supply relief flights.
Globally, Musk and X have faced penalties for what multiple governments characterize as disinformation and hate speech. Brazil’s highest court, for example, banned X from the country this year after it allegedly failed to deactivate accounts spreading illegal disinformation. The European Union has also charged X with breaching social media regulations by enabling misleading disinformation.
In the U.S., some Republican state lawmakers have urged conservative influencers to halt the spread of false information. “PLEASE help stop this junk,” North Carolina GOP state Senator Kevin Corbin urged his Facebook followers, highlighting false narratives like Antarctic weather control and FEMA stealing donations.
A fellow legislator reportedly received 15 calls in one day about similar untruths. “I’m growing a bit weary of intentional distractions,” Corbin remarked.
The following day, Musk amplified some of those same false claims to his 200 million followers, responding with a single word: “Wow.”
Zack Colman, Oriana Pawlyk, and Mike Lee contributed to this report.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
