Bash Holds Interview With Lara Trump
Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump turned the tables on CNN’s Dana Bash in a fiery exchange over claims about FEMA’s handling of hurricane relief funds. During the confrontation, Trump took Bash to task for an inaccurate “fact check” on the Trump-Vance campaign’s allegations regarding how the Biden administration has been allocating FEMA resources.
The spat began when Bash accused the Trump-Vance campaign of spreading “misinformation” after they highlighted comments from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayorkas had stated that FEMA’s disaster relief funds were dwindling, sparking concerns that there might not be enough resources to aid Americans affected by recent hurricanes. Trump pointed out that FEMA had spent a staggering $1.4 billion on settling migrants in fiscal year 2023—a significant chunk of taxpayer money that many believe could have been better directed toward supporting U.S. citizens in need.
“He said that FEMA is only offering $750 to Americans who have had their homes destroyed. That’s not true,” Bash claimed. “He’s also echoing conspiracy theorists online who falsely claim that the administration is redirecting disaster money for undocumented immigrants. That’s also not true. Why is he spreading misinformation in a crisis like that?”
Lara Trump forces Dana Bash to admit Democrats allocated a much larger sum of money for illegals than Americans in need of disaster relief post Hurricane Helene:
Lara Trump: “Kamala Harris did come out and say 750 dollars per family. The idea that we’ve spent 650 million dollars… pic.twitter.com/PYnIdaDtw5— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) October 6, 2024
Lara Trump, clearly frustrated by the situation in her home state of North Carolina, didn’t back down. “I am incredibly concerned in North Carolina. I hear every day from people on the ground there, and they are desperate for help. It is a dire situation there. I actually think we don’t even know the extent yet of truly how bad it is,” Trump responded. She emphasized that while Vice President Kamala Harris has said FEMA is only providing $750 per family, the broader issue is that the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the migrant crisis that could have otherwise been allocated to hurricane relief.
When Bash tried to steer the conversation back to the alleged misinformation, asserting that there’s no truth to the idea that FEMA funds are being redirected to migrants, Trump doubled down. She cited the lavish accommodations for migrants in New York City, where they have been housed in luxury hotels, as a glaring example of how taxpayer dollars are being used. “We have paid so much money from our tax dollars into the crisis that didn’t need to happen. We could redirect money to help people immediately on the ground in North Carolina or in Florida,” Trump insisted.
This was a critical moment in the exchange, as Bash initially tried to sidestep Trump’s point about the allocation of funds, seemingly dismissing it as mere political posturing. But as Trump pressed on, Bash ultimately had to concede that FEMA has indeed spent billions in taxpayer funds to settle migrants in the U.S., even while there are clear financial gaps in the disaster relief efforts for American citizens facing the devastation from Hurricane Helene.
This debate highlights a recurring frustration among critics of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. To them, the fact that the federal government can so easily find billions for migrant support but struggles to adequately fund disaster relief for Americans facing life-threatening emergencies is more than just a bureaucratic oversight—it’s a sign of a deeper misalignment of values. Lara Trump’s point that resources are being directed to a crisis she argues was self-inflicted by the administration’s immigration policies struck a chord with those who believe that American citizens should always come first in times of need.
While the Biden administration continues to defend its spending decisions, the criticism from figures like Trump underscores a growing sentiment that the government’s priorities are out of step with the needs of everyday Americans. The discrepancy between the aid provided to migrants and the limited support offered to hurricane victims has become a flashpoint in the political debate, raising tough questions about how taxpayer dollars are being allocated during one of the most active hurricane seasons in recent memory.