FACT CHECK: Did the ‘Red Hats’ and ‘White Hats’ Declare War on FEMA?
Multiple posts going viral on the social media platform X claim that citizen militia groups have declared and engaged in a war on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials and the FBI in North Carolina.
White Hats/Red Hats late last night engaged FEMA personel at the Greenville, SC, airport, where they saw FEMA escorting blindfolded children onto a twin turboprop plane. More soon.
— RealRawNews (@RealRawNews1) October 8, 2024
Verdict: False
The claims stems from a satirical website.
Fact Check:
At least 230 deaths have been confirmed in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s impact on the southern U.S., according to The New York Times. In places such as North Carolina, the cleanup process has become particularly contentious, with notable names such as Elon Musk chiming in to criticize the government’s response.
Good question … why is funding for other countries being prioritized over Americans in dire need? https://t.co/RFYvu8RAhU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2024
🚨BREAKING NEWS: WHITE HATS AND RED HATS DECLARE WAR AGAINST FEMA AND FBI IN NORTH CAROLINA—THE UPRISING AGAINST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BEGINS! VIDEO
This is war being waged directly against the American people. All of humanity rests on what happens in America so people of the… pic.twitter.com/uLSpnvJ0O1
— Proudly Unaffiliated (@ProudUnaffiliat) October 8, 2024
These claims are made from whole cloth. A community note placed on a viral tweet from the account RealRawNews highlights that according to the Poynter Institute, that outlet specializes in fantastical, clickbait headlines. The article being referenced, first published on Oct. 7, appears to be where the claims originated from.
There is no evidence of any actors being “engaged” at Greenville Downtown Airport, and there is no mention of this event happening on their X account page.
Furthermore, it is unknown who the “red hats” and “white hats” are. The top result in a Google search for “Red Hats” turns up a influential women’s group. There is no information found about the “White Hats,” either.
This is not the first time that false information has spread about the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene.
