In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a North Carolina man shared the story of his father-in-law denying FEMA assistance due to conspiracy theories fueled by Donald Trump, saying it's causing rifts in the family.
Following the devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, misinformation about federal disaster aid, specifically around FEMA, has spread largely fueled by rhetoric from GOP figures, leading many to reject help.
On a recent episode of SiriusXM's "Dan Abrams Show," a man named Anthony of Asheville, North Carolina, called in to discuss FEMA and his family's struggles. Despite suffering significant property damage from Helene, Anthony claimed his father-in-law will not accept any FEMA assistance out of fear that it would lead to his house getting confiscated, according to MSNBC.
Anthony went on to say that their family is struggling to help, as his father-in-law dismisses factual information and insists on believing former president Donald Trump's claims.
"We've sent him all the FEMA bulletins," Anthony said. "We've sent him all the stuff from the fact-checkers. He doesn't believe it. He thinks it's all — he just believes Trump. ... It's a cult. He's a cult member. I'm sorry to say it. He's a cult member and he's my father-in-law and it sucks."
The situation has left Anthony and his family feeling helpless as the refusal of assistance can lead to dire consequences, including lack of food and essential resources.
"I mean, he lost almost everything, and he's refusing all help from the federal government and complaining to us that he doesn't have food, that he doesn't have the stuff he needs, and yet he won't accept the help," Anthony said. "What the hell are we supposed to do? We're not in a position where we can fly across the country and help him. There's people begging us to get him to accept help and he won't do it."
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