Trump announces Puerto Rico trip as island pleads for immediate aid

The president won't be going to Puerto Rico until next week, but they don't really need his presence right now

Published September 26, 2017 12:51PM (EDT)

 (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump announced he will grace Puerto Rico with his presence next week, 13 days after the Caribbean island was hit by a devastating hurricane.

"Puerto Rico needs a lot of money. I am going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday," Trump told reporters at the White House. "It’s the earliest I can go because of the first responders, and we don’t want to disrupt the relief efforts.”

The president has displayed little interest in the dire state of Puerto Rico, instead devoting much of his attention to needless feuds with athletes and the sports community.

San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz told CBS News that her city was experiencing a "humanitarian crisis." The Federal Emergency Management Agency is on the ground in Puerto Rico, but their action plan is limited as they await marching orders from the Trump administration, HuffPost reported.

Before Puerto Rico can receive aid, the Office of Management and Budget and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have to appraise the damage before requesting relief funds from Congress.

Trump has displayed scant empathy for Puerto Rico, as he decided to knock the ravaged U.S. territory in his first acknowledgment of the hurricane's devastation.

What Trump's visit to Puerto Rico accomplishes remains to be seen. The island does not need a photo opportunity for the president. It needs resources and manpower from the federal government. 


By Taylor Link

MORE FROM Taylor Link


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Disaster Relief Donald Trump Hurricane Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico San Juan Weather