Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez said Wednesday that GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and others who like her think people can control the weather should “have their heads examined.”
Gimenez’s rebuke of his conspiratorial Republican colleague comes as Hurricane Milton barrels across Florida’s Gulf Coast and in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida last month and caused devastating damage as it barreled through the southeastern part of the US. US raged. The two storms have also led to a resurgence in swirling conspiracy theories, instigated in part by Greene, who wrote on social media last week: “Yes, they can control the weather,” adding: “It’s ridiculous when someone lies and says it’s not possible.” It remains unclear who ‘they’ are.
“NEW FLASH -> Humans cannot create or control hurricanes,” Gimenez wrote to X on Wednesday in response to Greene. “Anyone who thinks it is possible should have their head examined.”
Greene has doubled down since her first post, posting a meme citing several patents as apparent proof that the weather could be controlled. And on Tuesday, she posted a link to an article in the ultra-conservative and sometimes conspiratorial Gateway Pundit that cited several scientific practices, including cloud seeding, as evidence that the weather could be controlled.
In the wake of Helene, which has left more than 200 dead, misinformation is spreading rampantly on social media, including from prominent figures like Greene and billionaire Elon Musk, owner of those surrounding the station, are “absolutely the worst I have ever seen.” Some of these conspiracies include baseless claims that federal aid workers are funneling disaster money to immigrants.
In response to both Greene and other conspiracies spreading online, North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards, whose district was particularly affected by Helene, took to his website to debunk the claims one by one.
“No one can control the weather,” Edwards said in a letter to his constituents on Tuesday.
“I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X or any other social media platform is not always fact. Make sure you fact-check what you read online with a reputable source,” Edwards said in the post.
President Joe Biden called the spread of disinformation “un-American” during a briefing on Tuesday. “People are terrified, people know their lives are at stake,” he said.
