CNN anchor Abby Phillip checked former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado (R) on Friday for dismissing Donald Trump’s false claims in regards to the response to Hurricane Helene by President Joe Biden’s administration.
Phillip pointed to video clips of the GOP presidential nominee incorrectly saying this week that the federal authorities is providing “no assist” as a result of it’s spending cash on migrants as an alternative of aid for those impacted by the deadly storm.
“They stole the FEMA cash identical to they stole it from a financial institution,” the previous president claimed at a rally in Saginaw, Michigan, on Thursday, in reference to the Federal Emergency Administration Company.
“They’re lacking a billion {dollars} that they gave to migrants coming into our nation,” he advised a crowd in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Friday.
Phillip gave a blunt evaluation of the clips.
“In the event you can imagine it, none of that’s true,” she mentioned. “That was a variety of lies in a couple of seconds.”
Maldonado, who was once considered for a Trump administration position and served as California lieutenant governor underneath Arnold Schwarzenegger, proceeded to say that he didn’t see Trump “politicizing this storm.”
“He’s down there exhibiting that he’s a pacesetter,” Maldonado mentioned.
“However he’s claiming that Biden is withholding assist as a result of these individuals are, I assume, presumptively Republicans. That’s simply patently false,” Phillip replied.
Some GOP officers in areas impacted by Helene have sought to shut down claims of a poor federal authorities response or encouraged folks to “put apart the hate for a bit and pitch in to assist.”
Maldonado, in response to Phillip, described Trump as “elevating the flag” to say that states impacted by Helene “want a variety of assist.”
“The one factor which you can’t accuse him of not being is a pacesetter,” Maldonado mentioned.
“With all due respect, he’s mendacity. He’s mendacity,” Phillip interjected.
“I don’t see him as not being in keeping with the details,” Maldonado mentioned.
