Trump Praises Administration’s Response To Hurricane Maria As ‘Fantastic’ Despite Report On Devastating Death Toll
A new report prompted the Puerto Rican government to revise the number of storm-related deaths from 64 to 2,975, which places Hurricane Maria among one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. President Donald Trump defended the sluggish response to the emergency in Puerto Rico, saying: "It's hard to get things on the island."
The Washington Post:
‘We Did A Fantastic Job In Puerto Rico’: Trump Defends Response Despite Spike In Deaths After Hurricane Maria
President Trump on Wednesday defended his administration's response to a devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico last year, despite a study released this week that said there was a spike in deaths on the island in the six months that followed. “I think we did a fantastic job,” Trump said, responding to a question from a reporter at the White House. He called the emergency on the island “by far the most difficult” of the areas of the United States and its territories ravaged by hurricanes. (Nakamura, 8/29)
CNN:
Trump Touts Puerto Rico Response As 'Fantastic' Despite Nearly 3,000 Dead
It was an optimistic accounting of his administration's handling of the natural disaster, which left much of the US territory without power for weeks and resulted in thousands of deaths. The island's governor formally raised the death toll from 64 to 2,975 on Tuesday following a study conducted by researchers at George Washington University. (Liptak and Diamond, 8/29)
