No, Trump Didn’t Send FEMA to NC with $2B Originally Allotted To Support ‘Illegals’

A rumor circulating on-line in January 2025 claimed U.S. President Donald Trump directed Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) officers to hurricane-ravaged North Carolina with $2 billion he supposedly moved from a fund meant to supply “welfare for ‘illegals.'”

For instance, we located numerous examples of users posting this rumor on Facebook, Threads, TikTok, Truth Social, X and even a college sports forum. One X consumer posted (archived) on Jan. 22, “BREAKING: FEMA stated they have been out of cash and could not assist North Carolina. Right this moment Trump moved $2 billion from cash used to assist illegals to the folks of North Carolina.” The submit obtained greater than 1.6 million views and 115,000 likes.

In one other instance, a Fact Social consumer replied to a Trump submit with a meme studying, “FEMA has been directed again to North Carolina with $2 billion in emergency funds: ‘We transferred it from the packages that fund welfare for illegals. They will not be needing it.’ Thank You President Trump.” The submit obtained over 11,000 likes — a excessive variety of engagements for Trump’s social media platform, in comparison with bigger social apps.

These readers appeared to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life occasions. Nevertheless, there was no proof of the Trump administration directing FEMA officers “again” to North Carolina with $2 billion in catastrophe help taken from a fund for migrants.

Quite, the rumor originated with several different posts hosted by America’s Final Line of Protection (ALLOD) — a community of Fb pages and web sites whose creator describes their output as satirical in nature. The community’s primary Facebook page shows “satire” labels on posted photos and incorporates a bio with the disclaimer studying, “The flagship of the ALLOD community of trollery and propaganda for money. Nothing on this web page is actual.” Among the many Fb pages on this community is America – Love It Or Depart It.

The Devastation of Hurricane Helene

The fictional story about Trump diverting $2 billion from “welfare for ‘illegals'” unfold within the days after Trump took workplace for his second time period on Jan. 20. The rumor’s point out of North Carolina referenced the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene in late September 2024.

In December 2024, the North Carolina Division of Well being and Human Providers revealed a listing of 104 known state fatalities ensuing from the storm. An evaluation revealed the identical month by the state’s Workplace of State Funds and Administration and Gov. Roy Cooper estimated “injury and desires of $59.6 billion.” The report famous the huge scale of the 1000’s of destroyed properties, tens of 1000’s of damages homes and 1000’s of broken companies, in addition to infrastructure wants for restoring providers together with water, sewer, electrical energy, telecommunications, healthcare amenities, roads and bridges.

A Jan. 20 news release indicated FEMA officers had continued aiding Helene victims each earlier than and after Trump’s inauguration, following the top of former President Joe Biden’s time period in workplace.

In a Jan. 22 interview with Fox News TV host Sean Hannity, Trump stated of the federal government company, partially, “FEMA has not achieved their job for the final 4 years.” He continued making negatively-critical remarks about FEMA, saying he meant to go to North Carolina on Jan. 24, in addition to fly to California on the identical day to view injury from the latest Los Angeles County wildfires.

Snopes has reported on comparable claims about FEMA and migrants previously, together with the assertion that the federal government company was running out of hurricane relief money due to migrant aid.

For background, right here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources calling their output humorous or satirical.

Sources