PUERTO RICO Trump praises his team’s efforts after hurricane
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Tuesday lamented that Puerto Rico had been “destroyed” by Hurricane Maria but insisted that his administration is doing an “amazing job” in helping the U.S. territory recover.
Trump, who has faced mounting questions about his commitment to addressing the island’s plight, announced that he would visit Puerto Rico next week to get a firsthand look at the “devastated” island, which remains without power and where residents are facing food shortages.
“We’re doing a great job,” Trump said during a Rose Garden news conference with visiting President Mariano Rajoy of Spain. “Everybody has said it’s amazing the job we have done in Puerto Rico. This was a place that was destroyed. I think we’ve done a very good job.”
Trump’s assessment was at odds with many reports on the ground and ran counter to a growing chorus of critics, including lawmakers in both parties.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump told reporters that next Tuesday was the earliest that he could visit the island because of logistical issues.
“It’s the earliest I can go because of the first responders, and we don’t want to disrupt the relief efforts,” Trump said at the outset of a White House meeting on tax reform with Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
Trump said he also plans to stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which experienced extensive damage from the storm.
After being praised for his response to hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which struck Texas and Florida the hardest, Trump has received lower marks for his response to Maria.
Officials say they are facing numerous logistical challenges, including damage to airports and ports. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency says its response has been robust, including the deployment of 10,000 federal workers.
“We’ve gotten A-pluses on Texas and in Florida, and we will also on Puerto Rico,” Trump pledged. “But the difference is this is an island sitting in the middle of an ocean. It’s a big ocean; it’s a very big ocean. And we’re doing a really good job.
“We have shipped massive amounts of food and water and supplies to Puerto Rico, and we are continuing to do it on an hourly basis,” he added. “But that island was hit as hard as you could hit.”
Criticism of Trump has come from Democratic politicians, celebrities and others, focusing in part on the heavy attention he has put in recent days on his opposition to football players who kneel during the national anthem.
During the Rose Garden news conference, Trump said the NFL issue had not been a distraction.