Trump Blasted for Claiming Puerto Rico Death Toll of 3,000 is False: ‘YOU. ARE. A. DISGRACE’
The Twitterverse is seething with rage as President Trump is calling the Puerto Rico body into question while calling it a Democrat conspiracy.
As Hurricane Florence gets closer and closer to the southeastern U.S., Trump is defending his administration’s handling of the events last year after Hurricane Maria. This comes despite the recent indications that almost 3,000 people died from the storm and a direct result of the after effects.
In his latest tweets, Trump proclaimed that “3000 people did not die” in Puerto Rico, and that number was concocted by Democrats “in order to make me look as bad as possible.”
3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018
…..This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018
Of course, it didn’t take long for Trump’s tweets to take off on Twitter, and political observers are apoplectic:
Remember what Trump once told a veterans groups: “what you are seeing and what you are reading is not what’s happening.” Trump is not only refusing to admit failure in PR. He wants you to accept his version of the truth (alternative facts)… which isn’t the truth. https://t.co/MyfXpW63EZ
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) September 13, 2018
YOU. ARE. A. DISGRACE. https://t.co/Sp2O8yS5A0
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) September 13, 2018
“The economy is doing great. What better way to head into the midterms than to highlight that?”
“Nah. Let’s pick a fight about the death toll in Puerto Rico due to hurricane Maria.”
“Mr. President…..”
*tweet* pic.twitter.com/ZFRao65Gbh
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) September 13, 2018
So now the President of the United States is falsley claiming that a Democratic conspiracy is inflating the death toll of a hurricane that left thousands dead.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 13, 2018
Fake news, fake polls, fake books, now fake deaths. Hopefully someone will brief Trump on what the Puerto Rico mortality studies really showed. https://t.co/sTuPVr1p0R
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 13, 2018
Somewhere, White House aides are screaming into pillows https://t.co/5EmocBdnoO
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) September 13, 2018
Just a friendly reminder: Congress has declined to pursue any meaningful oversight of what happened in Puerto Rico. Trump is always gonna be Trump (though this is special). GOP leadership didn’t have to sit on their hands. They chose to.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) September 13, 2018
There are no words for this. https://t.co/XznKKXUuMD
— Matt House (@mattwhouse) September 13, 2018
Oh look: something even more garishly despicable than the last statement!
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 13, 2018
Who would think the birther president would say such a thing https://t.co/iB4a5zNuc6
— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) September 13, 2018
And watch as GOP congressional leaders deny they saw/ heard anything about it. https://t.co/5mqhuS08L8
— G O L D I E. (@goldietaylor) September 13, 2018
I’m really not shocked by the tweets anymore. I’m numb to it. What bothers me is how many Americans will now take it as fact. It’s just two sides of an argument now.
— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) September 13, 2018
Possible future Trump Tweet: Democrats are killing Puerto Ricans.
— Colby Hall (@colbyhall) September 13, 2018
This disregard for human life is horrifying. No, he didn’t cause the hurricane, but the lack of concern for anything except his own political stature is evident. But the GOP is all, “Who cares if the president lacks morality as long as we own the Libs?!” Disgusting hypocrites. pic.twitter.com/vvsFHI70Kt
— Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) September 13, 2018
Call me reckless and crazy, but I'm gonna go with the researched report from the George Washington University School of Public Health and not the undocumented, self-absorbed ravetweets of a man who has uttered 5,000 empirical falsehoods since taking public office 20 months ago. https://t.co/onn5yf1ql9
— David Simon (@AoDespair) September 13, 2018
People who have died from 9/11-related illnesses working on the pile died because of the event. Puerto Rico not the first time in history that event-related deaths have been characterized this way. https://t.co/M8ui8EE6SM
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) September 13, 2018
San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who Trump attacked yesterday, also responded to his latest statement, and she’s holding nothing back.
This is what denial following neglect looks like: Mr Pres in the real world people died on your watch. YOUR LACK OF RESPECT IS APPALLING! pic.twitter.com/OJEDqT74Sr
— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 13, 2018
Mr President no matter how much you try your “true colors” come shining thru. Unfortunately you just can’t help it. You just can’t get it. pic.twitter.com/nWzznCsCag
— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 13, 2018
Mr Trump you can try and bully us with your tweets BUT WE KNOW OUR LIVES MATTER. You will never take away our self respect. Shame on you! pic.twitter.com/KlMzClvzkA
— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 13, 2018
[Image via screengrab]
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