The purpose of making this false assertion is unclear, though some have speculated it may have been done for political gain. The tweet occurred just days before a future hurricane tax holiday in Alabama happened so there could have been an incentive for President Trump to make people think they were going to be directly impacted by the hurricane. In addition, with his reelection campaign underway he may have wanted to demonstrate strong leadership during what was seen as a national disaster at the time.

The potential impact of this assertion on public policy could be significant depending on how much attention it has received or continues to receive in the future. If people believe false information they can become misguided when making decisions regarding health or safety precautions related to disasters like hurricanes. This can lead to undesired outcomes such as panic and lack of preparedness if people are expecting something different than what actually occurs or fails to occur during such events.. Also, politicians who spread inaccurate information can set bad examples which further erode public trust and faith in government officials going forward. As such, ensuring accurate information about weather events is critical for effective decision-making within communities prior both during and after natural disasters.