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President Donald Trumpfalsely claimed on Thursday morning that the death toll fromHurricane Mariain Puerto Rico last year was not the officially reported number of 2,975.
Donald Trump/Twitter
Many responded in outrage to the president’s tweets, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who wrote, “This is a flat-out lie, @realDonaldTrump.”
San Juan’s Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz wrote on Twitter, “Damn it: this is NOT about politics this was always about SAVING LIVES.”
Courtesy of Kenny Chesney
President Trump has been accused of failing to meet the needs of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria, and before it, Hurricane Irma. U.S. citizens on the island went without power for months, and for weeks after the storm barely half had drinking water,according toThe Atlantic.In February, the Senate reached a two-year budget deal that would give Puerto Rico almost $16 billion in aid, but it was far short of the $94.4 officials said they needed to rebuild the island and prevent future devastation,The Timesreported.
Despite notable missteps, Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning that he got “an A Plus” for his response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas, as well as Hurricane Irma, which also hit Florida last year. He further claimed he did an “unappreciated job in Puerto Rico.”
The president also referenced his preparedness forHurricane Florence, which is expected to ravage the East Coat this week.
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An estimated 1,833 people died as a result of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The public response to then-President Bush’s relief efforts was also overwhelmingly negative. When Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, about 51 people died,according to an Associated Press report from the time, though it was thought to have been an epic disaster. Hurricane Harvey killed about 88 people, but many residents are still struggling to rebuild their homes more than a year later.According to World Vision, Harvey was also the second most damaging Hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1900 after Katrina.
source: people.com
