Conspiracy theories about hurricane aid could be fatal

America is diving headfirst into a maelstrom – and I’m not just talking about Hurricane Milton, the “worst storm in 100 years”. Watching Donald Trump, JD Vance and Elon Musk spread viral conspiracy theories about my agency’s (the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as Fema) response to Hurricane Helene feels like not just a personal attack on first responders like me, but also a blatant assault on disaster relief, turning a lifesaving mission into a bitter political battleground.

- NATHALIE BEASNAEL

Musk’s ludicrous claims that Fema blocked donations, maliciously closed off local airspace, or even “treasonously” diverted funds to “ferry illegals” are utterly baseless and have been flatly denied by both my organisation and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Similarly, Trump’s absurd accusations that funds – ringfenced specifically for disaster relief – were funnelled to house illegal migrants, or that Democrats are intentionally neglecting Republican areas in disaster-hit North Carolina, are needlessly instigating an epidemic of doubt and distrust plaguing ordinary Americans.

But their dalliance with wild conspiracies obscures a disturbing truth that pushes essential federal agencies to the point of collapse. The fact is Fema, much like our nation’s ailing infrastructure, has been systematically underfunded for years. Just this week the US Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, warned that we do not have enough funding to get through the hurricane season – which has rapidly escalated in a matter of days.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our federal agencies have been crippled after years of neglect and politically motivated budget cuts – much of which was supercharged under Trump.