Trump mocked for claiming Florida hurricane is ‘under control’ after previous ‘nuke them’ comment

US President Donald Trump has been criticised online for claiming that Hurricane Isaias is ‘under control’.

The storm made landfall at Destin, Florida, on Friday and footage showed it sending debris flying and bending metal signs out of shape, while authorities reported 594,000 homes and businesses in Florida and Alabama were left without power.

Meanwhile, low-lying areas have been evacuated due to warnings a storm surge could see sea levels rise by up to 9ft, despite windspeeds beginning to slow.

This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 1:06 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 9 2026, shows Hurricane Isaias approaching the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida . (NOAA via AP)

Mr Trump responded to questions about Hurricane Isaias by telling reporters: ‘We’re watching the hurricane very closely. We think we have it under control. We’re watching very closely – Alabama.’

The video of Mr Trump’s response prompted users to recall a series of gaffes the US president has made regarding hurricanes in recent years.

One person asked: ‘How the f*** do you have a hurricane under control? Do you control the weather?’

‘What exactly are we doing to a hurricane in order to keep it under control? Like are we lassoing it or diverting it to a different location?” another user queried.

US President Donald Trump walks to the White House after stepping off Marine One in Washington, DC, on September 26, 2026. US President Donald Trump returned from Knoxville, Tennessee, after attending the Tennessee/Texas college football game. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

Some recalled comments by Mr Trump in 2019 when he allegedly suggested hurricanes should be ‘nuked’ in order to stop them.

According to news website Axios, the president said in a meeting with topsecurity officials: ‘I got it. I got it. Why don’t we nuke them?

epa13294241 An emergency vehicle makes its way through a flooded street following the landfall of Hurricane Isaias in Navarre, Florida, USA, 10 October 2026. Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Destin, Florida, bringing damaging winds, heavy rainfall and a dangerous storm surge to coastal communities. EPA/DAN ANDERSON

‘They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they are moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can’t we do that?’

Mr Trump has previously been criticised for cutting funding to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that responds to natural disasters.

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Original source Trump mocked for claiming Florida hurricane is ‘under control’ after previous ‘nuke them’ comment

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