FEMA administrator criticizes Trump for inflating Hurricane Helene recovery claims.

• Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator, criticized Trump for spreading false information about the allocation of disaster relief funding for Hurricane Helene recovery by the Biden administration.
• Last week, Trump incorrectly stated that FEMA was running low on funds for disaster relief because the White House had used the money to assist with the arrival of undocumented immigrants.
• Congress passed a stopgap funding bill, which went into effect last Tuesday, providing FEMA with a $20 billion cash boost.

On Sunday, Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, criticized former President Donald Trump for spreading false information about how the Biden administration allocated disaster relief funding for Hurricane Helene recovery.

"In an interview on ABC's "This Week," Criswell stated, "This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people. It's really a shame that we're putting politics ahead of helping people.""

Last week, Trump falsely stated that FEMA was running low on funds for disaster relief because the White House had used the money to aid illegal migrants.

FEMA and other agencies have since fact-checked that disinformation.

FEMA's "Rumor Response" webpage states that the claim that FEMA disaster relief funding was used for international efforts or border-related issues is false.

The agency stated that the claim that money is being diverted from disaster response needs is false.

The Department of Homeland Security and the White House have released statements refuting the unfounded assertions.

The Trump campaign and allies, including Elon Musk, have continued to spread false information about the Helene recovery effort, using it as a campaign attack against Vice President Kamala Harris.

On Sunday, Criswell described the rhetoric as demoralizing to all first responders who have been assisting people in their communities.

Despite having a limited budget for the past year, FEMA received a $20 billion cash influx from the stopgap funding bill passed by Congress to prevent a government shutdown, which took effect on Tuesday.

FEMA's rebuilding effort in areas affected by Helene may require additional funding from Congress, according to White House officials and representatives from those areas.