Washington — Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas mentioned Sunday that disinformation surrounding the election, together with false claims in regards to the authorities’s response to latest hurricanes, is “extraordinarily damaging.”
“It causes folks to lose confidence within the integrity of the election system, and we’d like folks in positions of authority to truly talk correct data to the voting public,” Mayorkas mentioned on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday.
The feedback got here in response to new CBS Information polling, which confirmed that 65% of Trump voters consider the Biden administration has tried to extend the variety of migrant crossings on the southern border. And among the many people who say so, almost three quarters say it is occurring as a result of the administration desires noncitizens to vote. Unlawful crossings on the southern border reached the lowest level of Mr. Biden’s presidency in September, and solely U.S. residents are eligible to vote in federal elections.
“The notion that we in legislation enforcement have sought to deliberately enable people to cross the border illegally for the aim of voting is preposterous, and everybody ought to condemn that rhetoric,” Mayorkas mentioned. “Everybody, no matter occasion affiliation.”
CBS Information
Mayorkas additionally famous on Sunday that he is “extremely involved” about misinformation that is unfold within the aftermath of two hurricanes which have devastated communities within the southeast in latest weeks.
“The misinformation — I ought to say it is disinformation — false data intentionally unfold to impression folks’s habits and perceptions, this can be very pernicious,” Mayorkas mentioned. “We now have people in want of help, who’re entitled to help, who aren’t looking for it due to the false data.”
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Oct. 9 close to Siesta Key, Florida, spawning tornadoes throughout the state and bringing damaging heavy flooding. It got here simply two weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Huge Bend area. In the meantime, misinformation in regards to the authorities’s response — shared by former President Donald Trump on quite a few events — has run rampant.
Mayorkas mentioned the nation wants elected officers and others with platforms to “actually debunk this false data.”
“We’re not seeing sufficient of that, and I discover that to be extremely irresponsible and irresponsible to the people who find themselves survivors of those excessive climate occasions,” he added.
President Biden has repeatedly delivered warnings to Individuals about believing the misinformation that is circulated because the hurricanes, particularly on the federal government’s response.
“The misinformation out there may be not solely simply disgusting, nevertheless it’s harmful and it is deceptive,” the president mentioned at a briefing on the hurricane on the White Home on Friday. “The reality is we’re offering all of the sources which are wanted.”
Mr. Biden additionally criticized former Trump for main the “onslaught of lies” in regards to the hurricane response earlier within the week, telling him to “get a life, man.”
“Assist these folks,” Mr. Biden urged.
