Trump tweets that unlike Texas and Florida, 'broken' and indebted Puerto Rico 'is in deep trouble'

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

published 26 September 2017

Six days after Hurricane Maria churned over Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, destroying homes and leaving almost the entire U.S. territory without electricity during the hottest season, things are "brutal," resident Juan Bautista Gonzalez tells Bloomberg News. "No one can sleep. I spend all night tossing and turning. This is chaos." Many people don't have enough food or water, there is no internet, cellphone service is scarce, gas lines are long, and few people have air conditioning.

Maria cost $40 billion to $85 billion in insured losses across the Caribbean but mostly in Puerto Rico, catastrophe-modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimated on Monday. The federal government stepped up its relief efforts on Monday, sending FEMA head Brock Long and Tom Bossert to the island. Along with 1,400 National Guard personnel, FEMA said it has 700 people on the ground in Puerto Rico and the Energy Department has crews working on the long process of restoring power.

Congress is discussing an aid package, the five living former presidents extended their One America Appeal fundraising campaign to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday, and after being criticized for tweeting about the NFL but not a U.S. territory with 3.4 million suffering Americans, President Trump sent out some tweets on Monday night:

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In an interview with Fox News, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló acknowledged the territory's debt problem but asked for Congress to send help to address the "unfolding humanitarian crisis" in part of America. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.