‘It’s a Cult!’: North Carolina Man Has ‘Lost Almost Everything’ After Rejecting Hurricane Aid Because of Donald Trump’s FEMA Conspiracies, Family Says

They border on the ridiculous, but in a world where Donald Trump’s words are taken as gospel by many of his supporters, far-fetched conspiracies surrounding the Federal Emergency Management Agency and disaster relief have only added to the chaotic aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton. A recent caller to “The Dan Abrams Show” on Sirius/XM detailed how his father-in-law, who lives in flood-ravaged Asheville, North Carolina, is refusing aid from FEMA because he believes if he does, the federal government will assume ownership of his home. A view of the damaged area at Asheville along with the western part of North-Carolina is devastated by the heavy rains and flooding after Hurricane Helene in Asheville, United States on September 30, 2024 (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images) “It really sucks and I don’t understand how so many people are under the spell of this freaking con man,” the caller, who identified himself as Anthony, told Abrams. “I don’t understand it.” The caller was referring to the GOP presidential nominee, who’s made conspiracy theories a hallmark of his re-election campaign. Trump and his acolytes, using X, formerly Twitter, as their favored platform, have circulated one seemingly farcical rumor after another about...