It was just last month when Puerto Rico was devastated after being hit by Hurricane Maria. Since then, the United States has put effort into helping out the island, but Donald Trump doesn't seem willing to do so for much longer.
Trump on Puerto Rico
Over the last month, several hurricanes have struck various parts of the United States and caused lasting damage as a result. First it was Hurricane Harvey that touched down in Texas, leaving its mark on the city of Houston the worst of all. Just a week later and Hurricane Irma made its way through Cuba and eventually the southern and central parts of Florida.
While both storms did tremendous damage, it was Hurricane Maria that left the island of Puerto Rico in the worst shape. Back in the states, Donald Trump received massive backlash for his slow response to the recovery efforts, with critics blasting the president for spending too much time on his feud with the National Football League (NFL) as opposed to helping those on the island. Since then, Trump has continued to receive criticism due to his alleged lackluster effort, which has included constantly bringing up Puerto Rico's debt to the United States, downplaying the death toll, and attacking the Mayor of San Juan. As seen in a series of tweets on October 12, Trump lashed out at the current state of the island.
"Puerto Rico survived the Hurricanes, now a financial crisis looms largely of their own making." says Sharyl Attkisson. A total lack of.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2017
Taking to his Twitter account on Thursday morning, Donald Trump threatened to pull recovery efforts from Puerto Rico, while insulting the island in the process.
" A total lack of accountability say the Governor. Electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes," Trump tweeted, before adding, "Congress to decide how much to spend."
...accountability say the Governor. Electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes. Congress to decide how much to spend....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2017
"We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R.
forever!" Donald Trump continued in a threat to pull U.S. aid. Trump's latest comments on the aftermath of the hurricane fall in line with previous criticism, as his sympathy for Puerto Rico appears to be little to none. The commander in chief visited the island earlier this month, but came under fire for his controversial actions and rhetoric, which included tossing paper towels like a basketball into a crowd of hurricane survivors.
...We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2017
Moving forward
As thousands in Puerto Rico continue to struggle, it doesn't look like they will be getting help from the United States for much longer. While it's unknown when Donald Trump will officially pull the plug on the recovery effort, the president seems ready to do just that.
