Commenters on Twitter hammered Vice President Kamala Harris for her recent speech where she stated that federal relief for Hurricane Ian will prioritize people in “communities of color” and be based on “equity.”
While at the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum, Harris spoke to actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and claimed that low-income communities and people of color are most affected by natural disasters like Hurricane Ian. Due to this, the vice president said that federal relief should be provided “based on equity.”
Harris declared, “It is our lowest income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making.” Chopra Jonas interjected, “And women,” to which Vice President Harris replied, “Absolutely.”
“And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity, understanding not everyone starts out at the same place,” Harris continued. “And if we want people to be in an equal place, sometimes we have to take into account those disparities and do that work.”
Twitter commenters were outraged by Harris’ claims, with many accusing her of being racist toward the victims of Hurricane Ian’s wrath in Florida. Some tweets said she was confusing and scaring survivors of the storm, worried that they might not be able to get quick assistance because they don’t live in low-income communities.
The owner of Tesla, Elon Musk, slammed Vice President Harris’s quote, saying, “Should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else.”
Ryan Fournier, Students for Trump founder, tweeted, “You can’t make this up. Kamala Harris said the administration will give hurricane resources ‘based on equity’ by directing funds to ‘communities of color.’ I guess everyone else is just screwed.”
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’ rapid response director, Christina Pushaw, also went on the offensive against the vice president, calling her claims “false” and assuring Florida residents and Americans nationwide that FEMA has been giving aid to all victims and survivors of Hurricane Ian regardless of race or sex.
“This is false. @VP’s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance, visit http://disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.”
Journalist Ian Miles Cheong echoed Fourier, saying, “Just say it. Poor white people are screwed, and Kamala Harris is gloating about it the same way she gloated about sending thousands of black men to prison over drug-related misdemeanors.”
In a separate tweet, Cheong criticized the media for ignoring VP Harris’ claims, “If journalists were any good at doing their jobs, they’d be hammering Kamala Harris on the remarks she made today about how white families affected by Hurrican Ian won’t be getting any federal funds because the money will be diverted to ‘communities of color’ before all else.”
Conservative author John Hawkins mocked Harris and the left, tweeting, “Only liberals could find a way to make hurricanes all about race.”
Kyle Becker, a journalist like Cheong, asked, “Can we just agree that this is a tipping point when the ‘equity’ claptrap has jumped the neo-communist shark?”
“The Biden administration is systemically racist,” said RealClearInvestigations editor Benjamin Weingarten, with author Jim Hanson claiming, “That is a violation of the Civil Rights Act.”
Hurricane Ian ravages Florida Carolinas, leaving extensive damage
Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest storms to ever hit the United States, left behind devastating destruction still being assessed in some of the hardest-hit areas of Florida and the Carolinas. According to the Associated Press (AP), over the weekend, the death toll climbed past 30, with most victims being Floridians. First responders rescued over 1,000 people in Florida alone.
The AP noted that while most deaths were caused by drowning, others were from the storm’s aftereffects. In the meantime, rescue crews search for missing residents, and over 1.3 million individuals across the state are still without power. The increasing fatality count comes amid the sad backdrop of what the death toll may reach. President Joe Biden warned at a Hurricane Ian press briefing at FEMA headquarters that Ian could be the “deadliest” hurricane in Florida’s history.
According to early estimates, the hurricane’s total economic loss and damage are predicted to be between $180 billion and $210 billion.
