Social Media Users Shut Down GOP Senator Over His Out-Of-Control Disasters Claim

Ted Budd of North Carolina argued that hurricanes in his home state were an "absolutely different" matter from wildfires that have ravaged parts of Los Angeles.

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) took to Fox Business on Thursday to declare that wildfires that wreaked havoc on Los Angeles could have been “controlled” as he challenged California officials’ disaster preparedness.

“You can’t control a hurricane in western North Carolina. You can’t control a hurricane that dumps up to 40 inches of rain in the mountains. So it’s absolutely different,” argued Budd, whose home state was hit hard by Hurricane Helene last year.

“One could have been prevented with good government; one could not. And we’re going to get North Carolina back on track, and hopefully California will as well. But again, hopefully they’ll realize the lesson of bad leadership over and over at a local and a state level,” he added.

Experts have noted that extreme winds ― and large fires burning simultaneously ― posed challenges to fighting the blazes, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed over 12,000 structures in parts of Los Angeles.

Officials are warning of another round of high winds that could return to the area next week.