President Trump doesn’t seem too interested in helping Puerto Rico, and he doesn’t go put forth too much effort in trying to hide it.
In his latest comments on the humanitarian crisis underway after Hurricane Maria made landfall in the country, Trump warned that the disaster relief effort is complicated because the island is “surrounded by water.”
In a speech this Friday where he discussed his new tax plan, Trump started out by giving a jumbled mention to Puerto Rico, likely due to the fact that he’s under tremendous pressure to do so.
“I’d like to begin by sending our thoughts and prayers to the people of Puerto Rico, who have been struck by storms of historic and catastrophic severity,” Trump said. “We’ve undertaken a massive federal mobilization to assist Puerto Rico.”
Although 10,000 emergency responders and other relief personnel were sent to the island, Trump warned that the island’s location would make things difficult.
Today's definition of an island brought to you by the President of the United States. #BigWater pic.twitter.com/8jjI7XTRh0
— Matt Strohmier (@mstroh11) September 29, 2017
“The response and recovery effort probably has never been seen for something like this,” Trump said. “This is an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water.”
Trump then returned to focusing on Puerto Rico’s alleged infrastructure woes before the hurricane.
“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,” Trump said. “We’re literally starting from scratch.”
It took Trump 5 days after the hurricane hit to make his first public comments on Puerto Rico. Days later, he still seems stuck on the fact that it’s an island surrounded by water that had sh*tty infrastructure.
Not long after the speech, the hashtag #BigWater took off and internet mockery ensued:
https://twitter.com/Alina__IVI/status/913816714026127362
Apparently #BigWater is keeping aid from reaching Puerto Rico. I had no idea they had such a powerful lobby.
— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) September 29, 2017
Big water. Ocean water. Filled with dragons and pirates. Not good. pic.twitter.com/sEfmZg3h8p
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) September 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/IvankaToWorkDay/status/913816174978142210
Featured image via screen grab
