Republican U.S. Senate nominee Bernie Moreno has recently been getting fundraising help from Grant Cardone, a controversial financial influencer who pushed the conspiracy theory that Hurricane Milton was the result of weather manipulation.
On October 6, Cardone wrote: “I grew up on the Gulf of Mexico. Been watching storms since I was a young boy. I have NEVER seen a storm start here and go east. Do you think Gov’t is using technology to manipulate weather patterns & storms?”
He also wrote on October 10: “For those who dismiss the idea our govt is experimenting with weather remember these are the same people who denied Wuhan, bio labs in Ukraine, promised vaccine was safe, authorized contamination of our food supply, exported our manufacturing & say elections can’t be rigged.”
Cardone’s conspiratorial rhetoric was noted in numerous articles, including in Newsweek, FactCheck.org, Miami New Times, and Gizmodo.
He has used conspiratorial rhetoric to speculate on other subjects. On September 30, discussing the now-suspended port strike, he wrote: “Where is Harris on the port strike? Quit pretending she’s not responsible for running this country the last four years. They will use the strike to create nationwide chaos to steal the election.” He also asserted that “they purposely opened the border” and “used Covid to steal 2020,” arguing, “They will do anything & Americans can’t believe this would be orchestrated because they can’t imagine that much evil.”
In 2023, Cardone posted an image of himself displaying his middle finger, writing: “To all those who thought we were just conspiracy theorist!”
In recent days, Cardone has been trying to rally monetary support for Moreno, posting a fundraising plea online for Moreno on October 11. The Ohio Republican candidate responded: “Thank you @GrantCardone for your support, your friendship, and for your support of entrepreneurs!”
Cardone also appeared in an online audio chat with Moreno on October 14. The chat served as a de facto fundraiser, with Cardone saying he’s “put some money in for him” and encouraging people to donate to his campaign. He also said that he’s known Moreno for 30 years.
The chat also featured former Trump national security adviser Mike Flynn, who praised Moreno as “exactly the type of person that” the Senate needs. Flynn has also promoted weather conspiracy theories: He shared a video on October 7 which claimed that “Hurricane Helene was an ATTACK caused by Weather Manipulation!” He also suggested that “the mountains of N.C.” show that “the globalists are pulling out all the stops.” “Don’t worry,” he wrote, “the real storm is coming.”
Cardone also recently spoke at a rally for former President Donald Trump. Media Matters has documented several of Trump’s media allies similarly forwarding weather modification conspiracy theories.
Media Matters previously documented that Moreno fundraised on the show of Laura Loomer, a far-right extremist who has celebrated the deaths of migrants and mocked Vice President Kamala Harris’ Indian American heritage.