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Puerto Rico: Trump praises 'great job we've done' in visit to stricken island Puerto Rico: Trump appears to complain about cost of relief effort
(about 2 hours later)
Donald Trump has made his first visit to Puerto Rico since the US territory was pummeled by a category 4 hurricane nearly two weeks ago, amid continuing criticism that his government has failed to adequately respond to the crisis. Donald Trump has heaped praise on his administration’s response to Hurricane Maria, said Puerto Rico’s leaders should be “very proud” of the low official death toll – and appeared to complain at the cost of the recovery effort.
Shortly after landing in San Juan, Trump heaped praise on his administration’s response to Hurricane Maria, said the island’s leaders should be “very proud” of the low official death toll – and appeared to complain at the cost of the recovery effort. The US president’s remarks came on his first visit to the US territory since it was pummeled by a category 4 hurricane nearly two weeks ago, amid continuing criticism that his government has failed to adequately respond to the crisis.
The island’s 3.4 million residents – particularly those in the more isolated parts – are still largely without electricity, communications and access to clean drinking water and food.The island’s 3.4 million residents – particularly those in the more isolated parts – are still largely without electricity, communications and access to clean drinking water and food.
But Trump told reporters: “It’s now acknowledged what a great job we’ve done.”But Trump told reporters: “It’s now acknowledged what a great job we’ve done.”
Speaking at a briefing shortly after his arrival, Trump told local officials: “I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack.Speaking at a briefing shortly after his arrival, Trump told local officials: “I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack.
“But that’s fine because we’ve saved a lot of lives.”“But that’s fine because we’ve saved a lot of lives.”
The president contrasted Puerto Rico’s relatively low official death toll with that caused by Hurricane Katrina, which he described as a “real catastrophe”.The president contrasted Puerto Rico’s relatively low official death toll with that caused by Hurricane Katrina, which he described as a “real catastrophe”.
The official death count is at 16, but Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, said earlier on Tuesday that the toll is likely to rise. Turning to Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, he asked how many people had died in the storm.
The Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, a local investigative journalism project, last week calculated that the real total was likely to be dozens or hundreds higher. “Sixteen,” the governor replied.
“Sixteen versus literally thousands of people,” Trump said. “You can be very proud. Everybody around this table, and everybody watching, can really be very proud of what’s taken place in Puerto Rico.”
The official death count is at 16, but Rosselló earlier told reporters that the toll is likely to rise. The Centro de Periodismo Investigativo, a local investigative journalism project, last week calculated that the real total was likely to be dozens or hundreds higher.
At the briefing with cabinet members, local politicians and other emergency responders, Trump singled out Rosselló for “giving us the highest praise”.At the briefing with cabinet members, local politicians and other emergency responders, Trump singled out Rosselló for “giving us the highest praise”.
But the US president also faced his most prominent local critic, San Juan’s mayor, Carmen Yulín Cruz. But the US president also faced his most prominent local critic, San Juan’s mayor, Carmen Yulín Cruz, who he attacked at the weekend as a “politically motivated ingrate” after she made an impassioned plea for more help from the federal government.
On Sunday, Trump dismissed critics like Cruz as “politically motivated ingrates” but the two politicians shook hands and exchanged pleasantries at the airport hangar before the briefing. The two politicians shook hands and exchanged pleasantries at the airport hangar before the briefing, but Cruz later described the meeting as a “public relations situation” that did not deal with the island’s problems.
Before the meeting, Cruz released a statement explaining that she would meet Trump on behalf of the people of San Juan and out of respect to her fellow Americans. “I will use this opportunity to reiterate the primary message: this is about saving lives, not about politics; this is also about giving the people of Puerto Rico the respect we deserve; and recognizing the moral imperative to do both,” she said in a statement. “We tend to judge human crises by the number of people who die instantly,” she told CNN. “So of course when you say Katrina there were thousands, that doesn’t convey the message that people are dying on a continuum because they don’t have dialysis, they don’t have healthcare, they’re drinking out of creeks.”
Cruz said that a second meeting with White House staff was more productive than the gathering hosted by the president. “Sometimes his style of communication gets in the way,” she said.
In Washington, the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, said: “I don’t remember the president telling Texas that they threw our budget out of whack after [Hurricane] Harvey. Or Florida after Irma.”
“Yes, we’re spending money in Puerto Rico. We’re spending money to turn the power back on. To give people drinking water. And to keep life support machines working in the hospitals.”
Oxfam America also made a rare criticism of the US government on Tuesday over its response to the catastrophe.
“We’re hearing excuses and criticism from the administration instead of a cohesive and compassionate response,” said Oxfam America’s president, Abby Maxman, in a statement. “The US has more than enough resources to mobilize an emergency response but has failed to do so in a swift and robust manner.”
After the briefing, Trump and his wife Melania drove to the town of Guaynabo to meet survivors of the hurricane. On the way, their motorcade passed trees stripped of their leaves, streets still strewn with debris – and at least one protester: a woman standing by the road, holding a hand-lettered sign reading: “You are a bad hombre.”After the briefing, Trump and his wife Melania drove to the town of Guaynabo to meet survivors of the hurricane. On the way, their motorcade passed trees stripped of their leaves, streets still strewn with debris – and at least one protester: a woman standing by the road, holding a hand-lettered sign reading: “You are a bad hombre.”
Trump visited a chapel that was serving as a distribution center for food and supplies, where he handed out bags of rice, then threw rolls of paper towels into the crowd of local residents.
Basic necessities such as food and water remain scarce, and Rosselló warned that without an effective recovery plan, the disaster could cause millions of Puerto Ricans to move to the US mainland.Basic necessities such as food and water remain scarce, and Rosselló warned that without an effective recovery plan, the disaster could cause millions of Puerto Ricans to move to the US mainland.
Such an exodus would create “a devastating demographic shift” for the island, he said. Such an exodus would create “a devastating demographic shift” for the island, he told reporters.
San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín airport has been overwhelmed by passengers trying to leave the island, mostly bound for Florida and New York. In downtown San Juan, residents continued to clear the debris from their homes and businesses.
Jesús Ramírez, 53, was still moving rubble from his collapsed roof. “He [Trump] has to help us because if he doesn’t the rest of the island will leave.”
Ramírez said five members of his family had already left Puerto Rico for New York but he was determined to stay and see if he could salvage his business, which remained without power and was still severely damaged by flooding in the kitchen.
Those who stay face potentially months without electricity, as well as food, fuel, water and gas shortages. As of Tuesday morning, 55% of the island was without running water, and 26% of gas stations were still closed, according to Puerto Rico’s government. There is no clear indication of when full cellphone service will be restored to the entire island.Those who stay face potentially months without electricity, as well as food, fuel, water and gas shortages. As of Tuesday morning, 55% of the island was without running water, and 26% of gas stations were still closed, according to Puerto Rico’s government. There is no clear indication of when full cellphone service will be restored to the entire island.
Before jetting to the island on Air Force One, Trump told reporters he thought the White House had done “just as good” in Puerto Rico as in Texas and Florida, where federal emergency workers were dispatched to respond to hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Roy Geren, who lives about 20 miles inland from San Juan, said many of his neighbours had lost everything in the hurricane.
He also said that at “a local level, they have to give us more help” – a striking claim given the overwhelming community response to the disaster. Since the storm struck Puerto Ricans have shared generators and food with neighbors, cleaned debris from their streets and volunteered to help the most vulnerable. “Their houses were made of wood, they are all gone – only the bathrooms are left,” he said, adding his home had been flooded with two feet of mud and was now without power and electricity.
Oxfam America criticized the Trump administration’s response to the crisis on Tuesday, a rare move for the global anti-poverty non-profit. The 41-year-old said Trump should have visited regions outside of the island’s capital to get a full picture of the devastation.
“We’re hearing excuses and criticism from the administration instead of a cohesive and compassionate response,” said Oxfam America’s president, Abby Maxman, in a statement. “The US has more than enough resources to mobilize an emergency response but has failed to do so in a swift and robust manner.” “Here in San Juan it is nice,” he said. “He shouldn’t have gone to the tourist areas.”
“Up there,” he said, pointing inland. “That’s where he should have visited.”