On Thursday, President Donald Trump tweeted a denial of the death toll from Hurricane Maria, the storm that devastated Puerto Rico last September.
“3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000…” he said, apparently in reference to the official tolls that came out months after the storm.
3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018
Trump then blamed Democrats for spreading the death toll, saying it was a political move to make him look “as bad as possible.” He further claimed that he “successfully [raised] Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico.”
“…..This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!”
…..This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018
The official death count increased months after the storm because the government of Puerto Rico originally did not acknowledge counts from news outlets investigating the impact of the storm. Puerto Rico finally accepted the conclusion of an independent report on hurricane-related deaths, conducted by George Washington University, last month.
“If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list,” said Trump, attempting to dismiss the long-term effects of the disaster, where the island was without electricity and water for months, as the administration struggled to restore power.
Trump’s handling of the damage Hurricane Maria caused was widely criticized, despite his efforts to paint his response to the storm as a success.
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz was a particularly aggressive critic of Trump in the days and weeks following the hurricane; her response to Trump’s tweet today was no different.
Mr Trump you can try and bully us with your tweets BUT WE KNOW OUR LIVES MATTER. You will never take away our self respect. Shame on you! pic.twitter.com/KlMzClvzkA
— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 13, 2018
People online were aghast that the president would somehow blame Democrats for an accurate death toll being reported.
.@realDonaldTrump prefers his “alternative facts” to the tragedy faced by families of the lost. Worse still, the GOP is determined to shield his insulting behavior from accountability. It’s time for Republicans in Congress to get back to performing our crucial oversight function. https://t.co/f2j2pEfQYa
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 13, 2018
Instead of having even an ounce of sympathy for #hurricane causualties, he sees it as a political plot against him. Real human beings grieving the loss of their families. And this narcissistic fraud believes this is just about him again, and a conspiracy to make him look bad. https://t.co/8enuC25AGw
— Charles Adler (@charlesadler) September 13, 2018
Beyond the lies, incompetence, corruption: Republican President Trump is a cruel person, with a cruel agenda, who has no regard for human life. https://t.co/GRoatlfshm
— David Rothschild 🌻 (@DavMicRot) September 13, 2018
It was the second time this week that the president had made outlandish claims about Puerto Rico, which also engendered a furious response. Sen. Bernie Sanders had harsh words for the president yesterday.
While the country is bracing for a massive hurricane, the last thing Trump should be doing is attacking the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, who fought for the people of Puerto Rico after the destruction of Hurricane Maria while he played golf with his billionaire friends. https://t.co/yopwHeVfSJ
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 12, 2018
It was not until last month that electricity was fully restored to the entire island of Puerto Rico, nearly a year after the hurricane made landfall.
And yet, per his tweets, somehow the president is the victim in all this.
