Biden to Trump: 'Get a life, man,' and stop spreading hurricane misinformation
President Joe Biden on Thursday said he hasn’t spoken to – and doesn’t plan to speak to – former President Donald Trump to address falsehoods he’s spreading on the campaign trail about federal hurricane relief.
But asked what he would say if he did speak to Trump, Biden did not mince words: "Mr. former President Trump, get a life, man. Help these people," Biden said while giving reporters an update on Hurricane Milton.
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The White House, and Biden personally, have spent days decrying Trump for making false claims about disaster response, including that federal funding is being diverted for use on people in the country illegally and that such assistance is capped at $750. The $750 is an immediate need disbursement, Biden explained, to cover urgent requirements like food, diapers and baby formula.
On Thursday, Biden condemned the "reckless, irresponsible and relentless disinformation and outright lies that continue to flow."
"It’s just bizarre. They got to stop this. They’re being so damn un-American with the way they're talking about this stuff," Biden said.
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Asked whether he’d spoken to Trump about spreading misinformation, Biden said, "Are you kidding me," then audibly laughed before telling Trump to "get a life."
As Biden was walking away, a reporter followed up with a question about whether Biden planned to hold Trump accountable for the misinformation campaign.
"The public will hold him accountable," Biden said. "You better, the press better hold him accountable because you know the truth."
The same reporter then asked whether Biden planned to speak with Trump, to which Biden emphatically replied, "No!"
US President Joe Biden speaks on the initial impacts of Hurricane Milton in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Trump, meanwhile, continued to spread misinformation and complain about the federal response at a campaign event in Michigan Thursday.
While speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump sent a message to people affected by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. He praised Republican governors of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina but suggested the federal response had been lacking, particularly in North Carolina, where he alleged the government after Helene had "not done what you’re supposed to be doing."