Trump defends aid effort
FEMA head: Major challenges remain on devastated Puerto Rico
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump defended his administration’s response to the humanitarian disaster in Puerto Rico, dismissing any critics of his relief efforts as “fake news” and “politically motivated ingrates.”
“We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico,” Trump said. “Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates ... people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military.”
Trump’s comments followed a barrage of tweets Saturday in which he directly targeted the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, who had questioned the pace of relief efforts to the island battered by Hurricane Maria.
Though Trump accused the mayor of acting at the behest of Democrats “to be nasty to Trump,” Cruz said she was only appealing for quicker help to save lives.
“I wasn’t saying anything nasty about the president,” Cruz told MSNBC.
Trump is scheduled to visit the island Tuesday to review rescue efforts. He might also visit the U.S. Virgin Islands, also undergoing a hurricane relief effort. Puerto Rico National Guard Maj. Paul Dahlen said the president’s expected visit is not affecting aid deliveries or any other relief operations.
In a third tweet Sunday morning, Trump had kind words for Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, thanking him and “all of those who are working so closely with our First Responders. Fantastic job!”
Rossello told reporters Sunday that the Defense Department has increased its presence on the island and that the emphasis remains on ensuring that “food, water and other supplies get delivered to the people of Puerto Rico.” However, when asked whether all buildings were inspected for safety as Trump had claimed, Rossello said: “I’m not sure about that. There are areas in Puerto Rico that we haven’t gotten in contact.”
FEMA Administrator Brock Long said on “Fox News Sunday” that relief efforts on the island represent one of the most logistically challenging undertakings the country has ever faced.
He acknowledged major challenges remain and there’s still a “long way to go” but said a lot has been accomplished.
“What I don’t have patience for is the fact that what we’re trying to do and what we have successfully done is we’ve established a joint field office in San Juan ... where we’re having daily conversations with all the mayors; we’re working with the governor and his leadership to create unified objectives,” Long said.
Long also dismissed criticism of the federal relief efforts.
“We can choose to look at what the mayor spouts off or what other people spout off, but we can also choose to see what’s actually being done, and that’s what I would ask.”
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday that the San Juan mayor’s complaints about the pace of aid were “unfair” given everything that’s been done.
After getting generally high marks for his administration’s handling of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Trump has now found himself on the defensive for the preparations for Maria.
Political opponents contrasted his approach to Puerto Rico to his recent hurricane recovery efforts in Texas and Florida, for which the president spent the weekend at Camp David working on disaster response and tweeted ongoing messages of support for the damaged areas.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, IVt., speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” suggested skin color might be a factor in Trump’s response. He also noted that Trump attacked the San Juan mayor from his “fancy golf club” in New Jersey, where he was spending the weekend, while Cruz copes with a lack of food, water and electricity.
“It is unspeakable,” Sanders said. “I don’t know what world Trump is living in.”