Washington Post reporter Hannah Dreier was slammed by people from across the political spectrum over the weekend as she was accused of “lying” about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R) response to the condo building collapsing in Miami last week.
“There’s a saying in emergency management: The first 24 hours are the only 24 hours,” Dreier wrote on Twitter. “FEMA was ready to deploy to the condo collapse almost immediately, and included the crisis in its daily briefing, but didn’t get permission from Gov. DeSantis to get on the ground for a full day.”
Numerous Democrats came to DeSantis’ defense, and Dreier’s claims were debunked as DeSantis signed an emergency declaration less than an hour after Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava, a Democrat, signed a local order declaring a state of emergency. DeSantis signed the declaration on the same day that the incident happened.
Despite facing widespread criticism over her claims, which were debunked, Dreier did not issue any kind of retraction, correction, or delete her original false claims.
The following are some of the responses that Dreier received in response to her debunked claims:
Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat politician who recently served as Florida’s Director of Emergency Management, slammed Dreier, writing on Twitter: “FEMA’s mantra is ‘locally executed, state managed, and federal supported.’ As the former director in FL who voted for Biden this tweet below is 100% Malarkey. FEMA would have deployed the federally funded USAR teams, which are located in @MiamiDadeCounty. They were already there.”
FEMA’s mantra is “locally executed, state managed, and federal supported.” As the former director in FL who voted for Biden this tweet below is 100% Malarkey. FEMA would have deployed the federally funded USAR teams, which are located in @MiamiDadeCounty. They were already there. https://t.co/Czj0GYY9yV
— Jared MASKowitz 😷 (@JaredEMoskowitz) June 28, 2021
Richard Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence: “There’s a saying in America: The Washington Post will always politicize every issue to help Democrats. You have a sickness. This isn’t remotely true.”
There’s a saying in America: The Washington Post will always politicize every issue to help Democrats.
You have a sickness. This isn’t remotely true. https://t.co/Is8VAyUxyf
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) June 27, 2021
Kurt Schlichter, retired U.S. Army Colonel: “I did disaster assistance for years in the Guard. FEMA is a clearing house for major resources when there’s a widespread catastrophe. It’s not a fire department. The fire department is the fire department, and it was deployed instantly. WAPO is lying about @RonDeSantisFL. Again.”
I did disaster assistance for years in the Guard. FEMA is a clearing house for major resources when there’s a widespread catastrophe. It’s not a fire department. The fire department is the fire department, and it was deployed instantly.
WAPO is lying about @RonDeSantisFL. Again. https://t.co/285j5J1kTf
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) June 27, 2021
Christina Pushaw, Press Secretary for DeSantis: “Hannah Dreier can shut down her DMs so people cannot send her any more documents & facts to correct her false narrative about #surfside / FEMA / @GovRonDeSantis … but she can’t just retract her lies? Is this journalistic ethics?”
Hannah Dreier can shut down her DMs so people cannot send her any more documents & facts to correct her false narrative about #surfside / FEMA / @GovRonDeSantis … but she can’t just retract her lies? Is this journalistic ethics? pic.twitter.com/u0vbYIfQak
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) June 27, 2021
Jay Caruso, Washington Examiner Managing Editor: “This is absurd. Miami-Dade has some of the best emergency response and management people in the country and were on the scene immediately. This is another framing around the myth that FEMA acts as first responders. Just absolutely lazy reporting…at best.”
Just absolutely lazy reporting…at best.
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) June 27, 2021
Arthur Schwartz, political strategist: “WaPo reporters know that Biden or Harris don’t stand a chance against DeSantis in 2024 so they’re trying to dirty him up by standing on the graves of the victims of this tragedy. Disgusting. Victims’ families should be outraged.”
WaPo reporters know that Biden or Harris don’t stand a chance against DeSantis in 2024 so they’re trying to dirty him up by standing on the graves of the victims of this tragedy. Disgusting. Victims’ families should be outraged. https://t.co/yiUw29Idqo
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) June 27, 2021
Schwartz added: “Where’s your correction on the disgusting smear that you attacked Ron DeSantis with? You’re a garbage human being and Exhibit A in the case against the media.”
Where’s your correction on the disgusting smear that you attacked Ron DeSantis with? You’re a garbage human being and Exhibit A in the case against the media. https://t.co/zXrvggTL3a
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) June 27, 2021
Steven Law, CEO of Senate Leadership Fund: “Media ghouls churn up the fake news agitprop—because Ron DeSantis.”
Media ghouls churn up the fake news agitprop—because Ron DeSantis. https://t.co/imxN0SAsM1
— Steven Law (@LawAmericanX) June 28, 2021
Luke Thompson, political strategist: “At this rate maybe Hannah can declare a candidacy against Matt Gaetz too. This has as much integrity as the Rebekah Jones nonsense.”
At this rate maybe Hannah can declare a candidacy against Matt Gaetz too. This has as much integrity as the Rebekah Jones nonsense. https://t.co/LLEag5c7m9
— Luke Thompson (@ltthompso) June 27, 2021
Mike Cernovich, political commentator: “FEMA is not a first responder. There’s nothing they can do initially, which is why they are on scene usually post-72 hours. Do you not know this or are you being deliberately dishonest?”
FEMA is not a first responder. There’s nothing they can do initially, which is why they are on scene usually post-72 hours.
Do you not know this or are you being deliberately dishonest? https://t.co/EdkzEb0gOH
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) June 27, 2021
Stephen Miller, political commentator: “Washington Post reporter spreading demonstrably false information. Has been corrected several times. Refuses to admit and correct. As I stated earlier, this is no longer a news organization.”
Washington Post reporter spreading demonstrably false information. Has been corrected several times. Refuses to admit and correct.
As I stated earlier, this is no longer a news organization. https://t.co/HtNNf7kHKe
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) June 27, 2021
Giancarlo Sopo, conservative media strategist: “This is nonsense. Emergency responders were on the ground in Surfside within minutes of the condo collapse and Gov. DeSantis declared it an emergency on the same day. As the mayor of the city has said, they do not have a resource problem.”
This is nonsense.
Emergency responders were on the ground in Surfside within minutes of the condo collapse and Gov. DeSantis declared it an emergency on the same day.
As the mayor of the city has said, they do not have a resource problem. https://t.co/fHCEXqZH5t pic.twitter.com/qwRtPdPxYC
— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) June 27, 2021
AG, a popular right-wing Twitter account: “Multiple people have pointed out to Hannah that this take is nonsense and ignores how the process works, but she has refused to correct thus far. It’s been over a day. The tweet has over 7k retweets despite being indisputably wrong and she hasn’t engaged any of the hundreds of people that have pointed it out or reached out to her. At some point one has to assume the reporter is intentionally spreading misinformation.”
Multiple people have pointed out to Hannah that this take is nonsense and ignores how the process works, but she has refused to correct thus far. https://t.co/Xqz6StGJpF https://t.co/zFXyzhxJ6Y
— AG (@AGHamilton29) June 27, 2021
Javier E. David, Yahoo News reporter: “People really need to STOP making DeSantis the story when he’s clearly not.”
People really need to STOP making DeSantis the story when he’s clearly not
— Javier E. David (@TeflonGeek) June 27, 2021
Christina Sommers, author: “What you wrote appears to be false. Why not retract the story and delete this tweet?”
What you wrote appears to be false. Why not retract the story and delete this tweet?
— Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) June 28, 2021