President Biden on Wednesday addressed what he called "stupid" claims that the federal government can control the weather, as the false claim was promoted by some politicians and high-profile figures.
"Marjorie Taylor Greene, the congresswoman from Georgia, is now saying the federal government is literally controlling the weather, we're controlling the weather. It's beyond ridiculous. It's so stupid, it's got to stop," Mr. Biden said in his remarks from the White House. He also pledged federal support for hurricane recovery efforts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency created a new "Hurricane Rumor Response" page to combat misinformation. The White House launched an official Reddit account, with one of its posts focused on debunking hurricane misinformation. And many local officials have taken to social media to push back on harmful misinformation.
Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican, sent a letter to his constituents in the wake of Hurricane Helene urging them to beware of "untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos by sharing hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and hearsay about hurricane response efforts across our mountains."
Claims that the government was controlling Hurricane Milton spread widely on social media platforms including X, TikTok and Facebook just days after similar false claims spread during Hurricane Helene. One post on X with more than 100,000 views claimed Hurricane Milton is a "modified and manipulated" storm being used as a "weapon."
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