…really hard to help but many have lost their homes. Military is now on site and I will be there Tuesday. Wish press would treat fairly!
Administration At Odds With Puerto Rico Reports
The reports coming out of Puerto Rico differ dramatically from the White House version.
Washington (CNN): Puerto Rico and Washington seem farther than 1,500 miles apart right now — in fact they’re experiencing a different version of reality.
Nine days after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, emerging video and news reports of a heartrending humanitarian crisis are jarring with the Trump administration’s upbeat assessment of the relief effort.And as the islanders’ plight is revealed, the White House risks becoming increasingly exposed politically at a time when it is already being pummeled by a tide of scandal and defeats, including the controversy over Cabinet members using private jets and the latest failed bid to repeal Obamacare.The dire situation, and the reluctance of President Donald Trump to publicly embrace complications in the relief effort, are also raising questions about why the response to Maria seems more sluggish than the government efforts following monster storms that hit Florida and Texas over the last month.The President himself, who did not appear in public Thursday, took to Twitter to rebut rising criticism of his government’s response, saying “massive” amounts of food and water had been delivered while noting his planned visit next week.And he resorted to a familiar tactic when under fire — slamming the media.“Wish press would treat fairly!” he wrote.Trump returned to Twitter on Friday morning to defend his administration’s response after Puerto Rico’s governor appeared on CNN: “Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: “The Administration and the President, every time we’ve spoken, they’ve delivered……” Following up with a second tweet Trump went on: “… The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!”Part of the problem is the way the administration is talking about Puerto Rico.On Tuesday, Trump repeatedly boasted during a news conference that his team was doing a “great job” and said how “nicely” he had been treated by the island’s governor, who he said had praised the administration’s work.Three days later, even as harrowing scenes emerged from the territory, Trump’s acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke described the federal response to the disaster as “a good news story.”The comments did not yet appear to match the notoriety of former President George W. Bush’s comment to his FEMA director Michael Brown that he was doing a “heck of a job” during Hurricane Katrina.But the unfortunate assessments could come back to haunt the administration if the situation in Puerto Rico deteriorates further.San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz rejected Duke’s assessment.“Maybe from where she’s standing it’s a good news story,” she said on “New Day.”“When you are drinking from a creek it’s not a good news story. When you don’t have food for a baby, it’s not a good news story.”
