Puerto Rico Gov Hits Back After Trump Whines About Hurricane Relief Funds

WASHINGTON, D.C. - OCTOBER 19: (AFP-OUT) Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico attends a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on October 19, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Trump and Rossello spoke about the continuing recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - OCTOBER 19: (AFP-OUT) Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico attends a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on October 19, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Trump and ... WASHINGTON, D.C. - OCTOBER 19: (AFP-OUT) Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico attends a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on October 19, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Trump and Rossello spoke about the continuing recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló is fed up with President Trump’s disparagement of the island following reports that Trump complained to Senate Republicans on Tuesday about the amount of disaster relief funding that went to Puerto Rico after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria last year.

“The comments attributed to Donald Trump today by senators from his own party are below the dignity of a sitting President of the United States. They continue to lack empathy, are irresponsible, regrettable and, above all, unjustified,” Rosselló said in a statement released Tuesday. “Enough with the insults and demeaning mischaracterizations. We are not your political adversaries; we are your citizens.”

Rosselló suggested that perhaps Trump got “misleading information from his own staff” about the funds the island has received and the state of its recovery process. He invited Trump to visit the territory — where nearly 3,000 people died as a result of the catastrophic storm — and “put all of the resources at his disposal to help Americans in Puerto Rico, like he did for Texas and Alabama. No more, no less.”

During a meeting with Senate Republicans on Tuesday, Trump reportedly whined about how much aid Puerto Rico had received and said the island could be bought “four times over for $91 billion.”

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for caltg caltg says:

    Trump has no interest in helping Puerto Ricans, despite being American citizens, they cannot vote for him. Besides, most of the people of Puerto Rico are . . . brown.

    Hillary was right, Trump is deplorable!

  2. “The comments attributed to Donald Trump today by senators from his own party are below the dignity of a sitting President of the United States. They continue to lack empathy, are irresponsible, regrettable and, above all, unjustified.”

    I think he misspelled “racist”.

  3. Child whines, the nation pays the price while his trumpsters dance in the streets since his hand pick appoligist gave him his garrenteed pass.

  4. Note to all the scattered U.S. protectorates and territories in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You’re good enough to intimidate our global competitors and launch military expeditions from, but don’t get a big head.

  5. Gov. Rosselló is finally standing up to Trump? Bit late for that, but I understand the tightrope he walks. Asking for aid without biting the hand that feeds him rolls of paper towels.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

21 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for blandsten Avatar for navamske Avatar for losamigos Avatar for irasdad Avatar for inversion Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for donnyyoung Avatar for left_in_washington_state Avatar for sanni Avatar for greylady Avatar for keninmn Avatar for jaybeeraybee Avatar for schmed Avatar for benthere Avatar for slimjim33 Avatar for ljb860 Avatar for caltg Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for dangnewt Avatar for inthesedays Avatar for 2busy

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: