Trump tells Puerto Rico to be proud of low casualty count

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• Trump told victims they should be proud that so far only 16 people have died in Hurricane Maria
• He compared the death toll to the 1,833 killed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina
• San Juan Mayor said Trump should stop making comments that hurt the people of Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, U.S. - On his fourth visit to a disaster zone in two months, U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to have learnt some lessons from previous criticism he drew and played out the part that looked almost route for the president. 

However, Trump, being Trump also dished out some controversial comments and made some awkward moves while visited the storm-ravaged American island territory of Puerto Rico on Tuesday. 

Trump ventured into the island, that continues to suffer after being ravaged by two powerful storms back to back, including Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. 

The way Trump saw it however, left many shocked - victims should be proud, he said.

The President told local officials that they should be proud that, so far, only 16 people are known to have died in Hurricane Maria.

Comparing the storm’s certified death toll to the 1,833 killed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, Trump said, “Sixteen versus in the thousands. You can be very proud of all of your people, all of our people working together. Sixteen versus literally thousands of people. You can be very proud.”

Like his previous visits to disaster zones, Trump’s visit to Puerto Rico began with a pep rally-like briefing with officials in an aircraft hangar, a quick drive past twisted houses and uprooted trees and a brief, friendly encounter with victims of the destruction.

Things go awkward when he also gently tossed rolls of paper towels into a crowd that gathered to see him at Calvary Chapel, outside the island’s capital, San Juan.

The island, where residents have felt neglected by their government, has seen some help coming its way. 

But over the weekend, the president was engaged in a war of words with the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz, after she complained that the federal response in Puerto Rico had fallen short of the responses in Texas and Florida. 

Trump, in turn appreciated his administration’s response and called out Cruz for what he called “poor leadership.”

The President then landed in Puerto Rico and even met Cruz.

Trump greeted the mayor but did not invite her to speak, he instead recognized Puerto Rico’s governor as he “did not play politics.” 

The president also recognized its congressional representative, who lavishly applauded the administration’s performance.

Jenniffer González-Colón, the territory’s nonvoting representative, who declared that Washington had sent everything Puerto Rico needed said, “Thank you, Mr. President, for all you have been doing for the island. You were really generous. It’s so important when you have men and women that have worked so hard and so long, and many of them came from two other catastrophic hurricanes.”

The president then went around the briefing table and praised the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, military commanders and a half-dozen members of his cabinet who accompanied him to Puerto Rico.

He singled out Mick Mulvaney, his budget director, and said, “I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack.” 

He then looked at his chief of staff, John F. Kelly, who was standing in the back and said, “Boy, is he watching.”

Even before the hurricane hit, Puerto Rico was facing about $74 billion in debt.

Meanwhile, commenting on the briefing she attended with the president, Cruz told reporters, “The first part of the meeting was a public-relations situation.”

She said that the White House staff was helpful and receptive, but added that Trump’s communications style sometimes “gets in the way.”

She went on to add, “I would hope that the president of the United States stops spouting out comments that really hurt the people of Puerto Rico because, rather than commander in chief, he sort of becomes miscommunicator in chief.”

On Tuesday, before leaving the White House, Trump told reporters he believed Cruz was now mostly satisfied.

He added, “I think she’s come back a long way. I think it’s now acknowledged what a great job we’ve done.” 

However, after he reached he reiterated his earlier criticism that some Puerto Ricans were not doing enough to help themselves. 

He pointed out that even though the roads were being cleared and communications being re-established, truck drivers were not transporting enough supplies. 

Trump said, “We need their truck drivers to start driving trucks. On a local level, they have to give us more help.”

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