Welcome to Kissimmee, Mike Pence: Democrats unveil billboard of Trump throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans

Jan. 13--Vice President Mike Pence will be greeted in Kissimmee by a billboard slamming President Donald Trump over his response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

The Florida Democratic Party unveiled the billboard Monday along Florida's Turnpike in advance of Pence's Thursday visit as part of a "Latinos for Trump" event at the Nación de Fe church. It will stay up until the end of the week.

The billboard shows a photo of Trump throwing rolls of paper towels to victims of the hurricane in Puerto Rico and includes the phrase "Prohibido Olvidar," as well as the English translation, "Never Forget."

"When the Americans in Puerto Rico needed President Trump the most, he threw paper towels at them instead of releasing federal emergency funds," state Democratic Executive Director Juan Peñalosa said in a statement.

"Donald Trump is more interested in tweeting insults at his enemies than tackling spiraling healthcare costs, protecting American jobs, and the growing climate crisis," Peñalosa said. "The billboards are a part of our effort to make sure that Trump's lies, broken promises and ineffective management are exposed. We deserve a President that is focused on improving our lives -- Trump is not that President."

The Puerto Rican population in Orange and Osceola counties surged in the aftermath of Maria by a combined 12.5% in 2018, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimates.

Osceola had a 22% increase in its Puerto Rican population, growing to 123,897 in 2018 -- a third of the county's total population. Orange's Puerto Rican population swelled 7% to 209,151.

But Trump has been criticized by Florida's Puerto Rican community for his comments and actions following Maria hitting the island in 2017, including his denials of the official death toll of 2,975 and false accusations of Democrats "inflating" the count for political reason.

Trump also repeatedly falsely inflated the amount of federal disaster Puerto Rico has received since Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, saying the island "should be very happy" about the federal response and opposing any additional money for Puerto Rico outside of food stamp funding.

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Trump wrote that island politicians "only take from USA," and "want to give them more, taking dollars away from our Farmers." Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.

Democrats cited a 2018 Florida International University poll that showed fewer than 17% of Puerto Ricans in Florida supported Trump. Trump won about 35% of the Latino vote in Florida in 2016, according to Pew Research.

The campaign hopes to build on U.S. Sen. Rick Scott's 48% support from Florida Hispanics in 2018.

Latinos for Trump held an event in Orlando in October with Pence's nephew John Pence and conservative radio host Manny Mulet.

slemongello@orlandosentinel.com

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