Donald Trump Crisis In Puerto Rico

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

After a real shower of criticism for his response to the crisis that Puerto Rico is experiencing after Hurricane Maria, President Donald Trump announced that next Tuesday he will travel to the island to supervise relief and reconstruction efforts.

"They had winds of 200 miles per hour, nor were winds of 200 miles per hour seen in Texas," the president said in a brief press meeting at the start of a meeting with leaders of Congress at the White House, in which he admitted that the Island of Enchantment is "literally destroyed".

He defended his government's response to the serious situation in the United States and wanted to avoid comparisons with actions in other areas of the country recently affected by natural disasters.

"They have given us very good marks in Texas and Florida, and they will give it to us in Puerto Rico," he said. " The difference is that this island is in the middle of the ocean. It's a great ocean, it's a great, great ocean (sic). And we are going to do a great job.”

The President reiterated that Puerto Ricans are "fantastic" people who will be sent "immense amounts" of water, food and supplies. "I grew up in New York so I know many Puerto Ricans."

In some tweets he shared hours before, Trump wanted to make it clear that he has not forgotten the island.

"Food, water and medical [equipment] are the highest priorities," said Trump, who credited the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for his work.

"[Puerto Rico] is literally destroyed," he continued in his message, assuring that federal aid is arriving on the island "every hour."