Puerto Rico has been hit by the Hurricane Maria, and many inhabitants of that island complained that the federal aid has been slow to reach them, but Donald Trump stated that his government is doing a Good Job helping them. The US President will also increase the federal disaster aid, helping with debris removal and emergency measures. Trump stated that his administration has done a good job in Florida and Texas, and he will do the same for Puerto Rico.
More details on the crisis
According to a report by Reuters, the critics of the US President and some inhabitants of the island said that the government had been slow to assist with food, drinking water, and the electricity service.
The island of 3.4 million people was hit by the Hurricane Maria on Wednesday, which has been the worst in 90 years. It destroyed homes and infrastructure and some critics said that Puerto Rico isn't getting the same help that was supplied to the inhabitants of the mainland, although they are also US citizens.
Trump on previous experiences
The US President stated that the Hurricanes Irma and Harvey caused a lot of damage in Texas and Florida, but that his administration managed this the right way and he'll get successful results in Puerto Rico too. He added that the difference is that Puerto Rico is an island in the middle of a huge ocean. According to a report by Reuters, Trump also said that he would visit this island and then the US Virgin Islands on October 3.
Learning from past mistakes
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005 killing 1,800 people, and former Republican President George W. Bush was criticized for his handling of this crisis. Donald Trump decided to visit Florida and Texas after they were hit by the hurricanes to avoid that type of criticism. Bush was attacked when he said that the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Michael Brown, was doing a “heckuva job.” The FEMA was seen as an agency that was doing a poor job to fight against the crisis in New Orleans.
FEMA has been helping
Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic Leader, complained about Trump's efforts to deal with the crisis and stated that Trump should propose to the Congress an aid package for the island. The FEMA stated that four million liters of water and seven million meals are heading to Puerto Rico and that it had already sent help in the past. More than 300 medical staff have been sent to the island by the American government and it's making big efforts to reopen the hospitals.
