Marjorie Taylor Greene Sparks Backlash With Comments Made Amid Hurricane Helene Devastation
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is back in the spotlight after receiving backlash over comments made on X (formerly Twitter).
In a post shared with her 1.2 million followers late on Oct. 3, Greene wrote: “Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Greene doesn’t specify the identity of the “they” she refers to. She has since received backlash online over the comments.
“Okay, but if ‘they’ control weather, then the next logical extreme is that humans caused climate change. She really didn’t think this talking point through,” one social media user said.
“I need to add ‘consult with they’ while sitting at my desk analyzing weather data to formulate my forecast,” said FOX13 meteorologist Paul Dellegatto, replying to Greene’s post.
Greene’s comments come amid the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene across the Southeastern United States, including in Greene’s home state of Georgia. Per the New York Times, as of Oct. 4, at least 225 people have died and there are ongoing searches for those who are missing as a result of the storm.
Read More: Hurricane Helene and the ‘Known Unknown’ of Climate Costs
As Greene makes these comments, she and former President Donald Trump have publicly called out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as the agency continues to receive criticism on its handling of Helene. Both have pushed claims that FEMA is utilizing funding to “house illegals.” FEMA called the accusations over funding being used for migrants “completely false.”
FEMA has set up a web page on their official website to address the rumors circulating their Helene response, writing that misinformation and rumor can cause “confusion” and “prevent… people from getting the help they need.”
“Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other non-disaster related efforts,” the web page states. “The funding for communities to support migrants is appropriated by Congress to Customs and Border Patrol—it has nothing to do with FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund.”
This is not the first time the far-right Republican has received backlash over her responses to natural disasters and events. In April, she commented on the earthquake in the Northeast and the solar eclipse expected across North America that month, stating they were signs from God. After facing online criticism, she doubled down on the comments.
Read More: Marjorie Taylor Greene Responds to Backlash Over Comments About Northeast Earthquake
“God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent. Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come. I pray that our country listens,” Greene wrote on X, after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in New Jersey rattled many in the area.
In response to Greene’s comments, many pointed to the years of knowledge and expectation that preceded the solar eclipse on April 8, as well as the reports from the National Earthquake Information Center showing that around 55 earthquakes happen a day around the globe, caused by movement between the earth’s tectonic plates on active or inactive faults.