The Hill’s Changemakers: Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.)

When Hurricane Helene hit parts of North Carolina in September, misinformation spread rampantly — in large part because prominent Republicans were parroting inaccurate talking points. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) made it his mission to stop those false facts from circulating. 

“Me and my team were very much engaged in trying to get resources to western North Carolina, including those from FEMA [the Federal Emergency Management Agency],” Edwards told The Hill in an interview. “And we were inundated with calls and emails and texts from folks that, like me, really didn’t understand the role of FEMA, and I very quickly realized that the misinformation was getting in the way of us doing the job to help North Carolina get back on its feet.” 

The effort by Edwards — a first-term lawmaker who represents Asheville, which took devastating storm damage — was centered on a letter sent to his constituents after the storm debunking myths and listing eight incorrect statements that had circulated, some of which were amplified by GOP lawmakers. 

He said the communication was “extremely effective.” 

“Once the media picked up on my press release and folks started to get a better understanding of FEMA’s role and the things that they were and weren’t doing, my calls dropped off significantly on misinformation,” he said. 

Edwards’s letter put him in direct contrast with some of his Republican colleagues, who were echoing storm-related misinformation related to FEMA and the weather. The North Carolina lawmaker, however, stopped short of admitting frustration with those GOP figures.  

More than a month after the storm, he told The Hill he was focused squarely on helping his constituents and not getting involved in a political fight. 

“I was focused not at all on politics, but just trying to get the resources to my district that we very much needed, and to help us begin the process of rebuilding,” Edwards said. “I wasn’t focused at all on any political ramifications.” 

“Of course, I never want to say anything disparaging about any member of my party, and I feel that I was successful in not being disparaging,” he added. “I stayed focused on the facts as I knew them.”