Trump was baffled and disgusted by water purification in Puerto Rico

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

President Trump's whirlwind visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday resulted in gaffes such as Trump telling a homeowner without electricity to "have a good time" and pretending to shoot hoops with paper towel rolls.

Perhaps most of all, Trump was baffled by aid work in the U.S. territory. "Flashlights. You don't need 'em anymore," he told a crowd in a chapel, despite the fact that 95 percent of the island is still without power. He was particularly bewildered by water purification techniques, which are essential to islanders' survival due to the fact that many parts of Puerto Rico remain without drinkable water:

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.