The U.S. government’s top disaster relief official said Sunday that false claims and conspiracy theories about the federal response to Hurricane Helene — spread most prominently by Donald Trump — are “demoralizing” aid workers and creating fear in people who need recovery assistance.

False claims about the federal response to the historic devastation left by Hurricane Helene are spreading out of control on social media, hampering the recovery efforts in hard-hit areas, according to local officials.