Trump Describes Devastation in Puerto Rico: ‘There’s Nothing Left, It’s Been Wiped Out’

President Trump opened his speech before the National Association of Manufacturers by expressing his sympathies to Puerto Rico in light of their current struggle.

After remarking that “people have never seen anything like” the amount of damage caused by Hurricane Maria, Trump spoke about the government departments which mobilized resources and launched relief efforts for the island. Trump acknowledged that the situation is difficult to address, not only because Puerto Rico is “surrounded by water” which separates it from the continental United States, but also because of how badly the island’s infrastructure has been crippled.

“There’s nothing left. It’s been wiped out,” said Trump. “We’ve never seen a situation like this. The electrical grid and other infrastructure were already in very, very poor shape. They were at their life’s end prior to the hurricanes, and now virtually everything has been wiped out, and we will have to really start all over again. We’re literally starting from scratch.”

As he continued to comment about the unprecedented levels of destruction, Trump also noted that Puerto Rico’s reconstruction will be complicated by its pre-existing debt. Nonetheless, Trump complimented the “great people” of the island and said the federal government would continue to help with rebuilding efforts.

In the past few days, various figure both in and outside of Puerto Rico have criticized the government for not doing more to handle the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Watch above, via CNN.

[Image via screengrab]

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