Opinion: Phoenix is struck with a Category 6 hurricane of lies about FEMA

It’s not as if U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority leader, had been fooled into spouting false information .

The truth is readily available.

The lies have been exposed publicly many times and had been debunked online, in print and during numerous broadcasts.

Still, when Scalise came to Phoenix to promote Donald Trump and Republican candidates, he said, “FEMA, among a whole bunch of other federal agencies, has been using your tax dollars that are supposed to help you as American citizens. They use that money helping illegals here that they brought into America.”

No. The agency did not.

Lies about FEMA could get people killed

A cursory check of the internet would have found any number of fact checkers proving that allegation to be false .

And that’s not the only misinformation about federal relief for storm-ravaged communities that is being used for perverse political purposes by MAGA politicians subservient to Trump.

Communities like Phoenix, all over America, are being hit by a hurricane of lies concerning FEMA .

Arizona's 'Kook Caucus': Put FEMA lies above saving lives

Government officials worry that such bunk will cause people in genuine need of assistance to mistrust the relief agency and be reluctant to apply for aid.

It’s the kind of disinformation that could get people killed.

Trump lies. MAGA spreads it. GOP lets it slide

Republican U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney said on Tuesday, “Trump told us that people in Springfield are eating dogs and cats. He likewise said that FEMA money, our emergency money, instead of helping people that were hit by the hurricane is being used to help illegals. I mean, he just makes it up .”

Then, MAGA politicians like Scalise fan out over the country to spread the same lies.

Meantime, the politicians they come to support stand idly by, like sheep, not bothering to correct what they, too, know to be untrue.

With Scalise at Tuesday’s event in Phoenix were Arizona Republican congressional candidate Abe Hamadeh, Republican Party Chair Gina Swobada and U.S. Rep. David Schweikert.

The truth about individuals can be found in the lies they go along with.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com .

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Opinion: Phoenix is struck with a Category 6 hurricane of lies about FEMA