Fabiola Santiago: Trump didn’t do ‘a fantastic job’ in Puerto Rico. Ask the loved ones of 2,975 dead
That's one heck of a jump from the 64 originally reported by the government -- and the most damning evidence of how tragically inadequate the Trump administration's response was to the catastrophic national disaster.
It's also an indictment on the island's leadership, which tried to hide the scope of the devastation by stubbornly clinging to wildly inaccurate figures, even after scientific researchers and respected media like
Almost 3,000 people died in the months following the September disaster, the government now acknowledges. They were mostly old, sick and poor people without access to the medical care and essential supplies they needed to survive.
That's 1,000 more deaths than in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina slammed into
Let the astonishing statistic for a small island of 3.7 million people sink in, and ask: Would anyone be congratulating themselves on the rescue and recovery job done if this had happened in
Yet despite fresh evidence, Trump remains in complete denial -- and, when asked if he should reconsider his administration's response to the disaster in light of the new numbers. he delivered more self-congratulations.
"I think we did a fantastic job in
So, according to Trump,
Before Maria, the island had an outdated power grid -- and deep financial problems -- but people weren't dying by the thousands for lack of essentials, like diabetes medication, dialysis treatments, food and water, and from stifling heat. Nor is it impossible for a country like
As for those billions Trump says he's given
"The administration killed the Puerto Ricans with neglect," San Juan Mayor Yulín Cruz told CNN. "The Trump administration led us to believe they were helping when they weren't up to par, and they didn't allow other countries to help us.
"Shame on
Not to exempt
And if Trump, still holding amateur hour in
Governor Ricardo Rosselló -- a Republican who hosted all the politicians streaming into the devastated island for the photo op and played nice with Trump, even through Trump's humiliating paper-towel throw at a crowd -- was finally disgusted enough to respond without polite deference.
Trump's response to the disaster never came close to "fantastic," he said in a press conference in San Lorenzo.
Puerto Ricans received
If there was ever really one, the political Trump-Roselló love fest is over.
Maria is Trump's Katrina -- another stain on his presidency -- and no one on the island is going to spare him the truth.
The least the president could do was show some contrition -- anything but issue himself praise and congratulations.
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