White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Fox News reporter Peter Doocy engaged in a heated exchange during a recent press briefing over the Biden administration’s handling of disaster relief funds for Hurricane Helene and aid allocated to Lebanon.
During the October 7 briefing, Doocy questioned why the administration had nearly $157 million readily available to assist displaced people and refugees in Lebanon but needed to request additional funding from Congress for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in North Carolina. “What does this say about the President’s values?” Doocy asked.
Jean-Pierre responded by labeling Doocy’s question as “misinformation.” She stated, “We’ve taken this very seriously. More than $200 million that we have provided to the impacted areas, but instead, people want to do disinformation, misinformation, which is dangerous.”
When pressed further, Jean-Pierre reiterated, “Your whole premise of the question is misinformation, sir.” Doocy challenged her assertion, prompting her to emphasize, “There is money that we are allocating to the impacted areas, and there’s money there to help people who truly need it.”
Doocy referenced a recent letter from President Joe Biden to congressional leaders requesting additional disaster relief funding. In the letter dated October 4, President Biden warned that “without additional funding, FEMA would be required to forgo longer-term recovery activities in favor of meeting urgent needs.” He urged Congress to provide more resources to avoid “forcing that kind of unnecessary trade-off.”
Jean-Pierre maintained that the administration has sufficient funds to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene, stating, “We have the money available to help survivors of Hurricane Helene and also Hurricane Milton.” She explained that the request for additional funding was a precaution due to the uncertainty surrounding Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm approaching Florida.
The exchange grew more contentious as Doocy insisted that his question was valid. “You can’t call a question that you don’t like ‘misinformation.’ That’s very unfair,” he argued. Jean-Pierre responded by emphasizing the need for Congress to act. “Congress needs to come back and do their job and provide extra assistance, extra funding to the Disaster Relief Fund. That’s what Congress needs to do, and we’re going to continue to urge that.”
The briefing concluded abruptly as Jean-Pierre closed her notebook and left the podium, leaving reporters without further clarification.
Meanwhile, the administration has been actively responding to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell emphasized the agency’s readiness, stating that over $210 million in assistance has been approved for Hurricane Helene survivors across multiple states, including $87 million in Florida and $32 million in North Carolina.
The White House has been combating misinformation surrounding disaster relief efforts. In an earlier briefing, Jean-Pierre labeled falsehoods about the federal response as “dangerous” and called for an end to the spread of such misinformation.
President Biden has urged Congress to provide additional funding, noting that the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program is at risk of depletion and that FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund faces potential shortfalls. The administration has emphasized its commitment to standing with affected communities until recovery efforts are complete.
The exchange between Jean-Pierre and Doocy highlights the ongoing tensions between the administration and some media outlets over the portrayal of disaster relief efforts. The administration continues to assert that adequate resources are being allocated while pushing Congress for additional support to address both immediate and long-term needs resulting from recent hurricanes.