CNN anchor Abby Phillip challenged former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado on Friday after he dismissed Donald Trump’s misleading statements about the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene.
During recent campaign events, Trump falsely claimed that the federal government was withholding aid from hurricane victims, suggesting the funds were being diverted to immigrants instead. At a rally in Saginaw, Michigan, Trump asserted, “They stole the FEMA money just like they stole it from a bank,” and repeated similar accusations at another rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, saying, “They’re missing a billion dollars that they gave to migrants.”
Phillip directly addressed these claims, saying, “If you can believe it, none of that is true. That was a lot of lies in a few seconds.”
Maldonado, who once served as California’s lieutenant governor and was considered for a role in the Trump administration, defended the former president, arguing that Trump was not politicizing the storm but rather demonstrating leadership. “He is down there showing that he’s a leader,” Maldonado said.
Phillip pushed back, pointing out that Trump’s claims about Biden withholding aid due to political affiliation were “patently false.” She noted that some Republican officials in hurricane-affected areas have contradicted Trump’s narrative, praising the federal response and urging unity in relief efforts.
Maldonado insisted that Trump was merely “raising the flag” to highlight the need for assistance in the storm-hit regions, concluding, “The one thing you can’t accuse him of is not being a leader during these storms, Abby.”
