Trump Still Failing Puerto Rico

This afternoon, Donald Trump answered some questions in the Rose Garden during an absurd press conference that Eastsidekate insightfully described thus:

Virtually every question in this press conference has been about sorting winners from losers. Policy/current events, not so much.

— eastsidekate (@eastsidekate) October 16, 2017

The entire thing was a depressing spectacle, for all the usual reasons — and for the continuing outrage that is Trump's disposition toward the people of Puerto Rico, who continue to struggle mightily just to survive.

Pres. Trump on Puerto Rico: "We now actually have military distributing food—something that, really, they shouldn't have to be doing." pic.twitter.com/7jeTjICumj

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 16, 2017

Puerto Rico is very tough because of the fact it's an island, but it's also tough because, as you know, it was in very poor shape before the hurricanes ever hit. Their electrical grid was destroyed before the hurricanes got there; it was in very bad shape, was not working, was in bankruptcy, owed nine billion dollars, and then, on top of that, the hurricane came.

Now, you're gonna have to build a whole new electrical plant system. We're not talking about generators. You know, we moved — Puerto Rico now has more generators, I believe, than any — anyplace in the world. There are generators all over the place. The fact is, their electrical system was in horrible shape before, and even worse shape after.

So we are working right now — as you know relief funds were just approved, or are in the process of being approved by, uh, by Congress, and that includes Texas, by the way, that includes Florida, and it also includes Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, et. cetera.

But, but — it was in really bad shape before. We have done — I will say this: We have done, we have done — [reporter asks something inaudible] Well, we've delivered tremendous amounts of water. Then what you have to do is you have to have distribution of the water, but by the people on the island.

So we have massive amounts of water; we have massive amounts of food. But they have to distribute the food — and they have to do this — they have to distribute the food to the people of the island.

So what we've done is, we now actually have military distributing food! Something that's really — they shouldn't have to be doing.

But if you look at the governor — who's a good man, by the way — but you look at the governor of Puerto Rico. He himself has said we've done an outstanding job, and most people have said we've done an outstanding job.

But Puerto Rico's a very tough one. [calls for next question]

That Puerto Rico's infrastructure was in desperate need of improvements before the hurricane does not mitigate the United States federal government's responsibility. To the absolute contrary, it demands even more urgent assistance.

Further, Trump continues to make it sound as though Puerto Rico was a failing hellscape before the double-barreled devastation of two back-to-back hurricanes — and while it is true that Puerto Rico needed major infrastructure upgrades, the picture Trump is drawing is wildly inaccurate.

That is not conjecture: I visited Puerto Rico earlier this year. And what I can tell you is that he is lying.

As usual.

If you can afford to donate to Puerto Rico relief efforts, and would like to, please visit Somos One Voice.