In Puerto Rico, Trump implies hurricane not a ‘real catastrophe’

Having just arrived in Puerto Rico, Trump diminishes the effects of Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island.

Delivering a press statement, he contrasts the situation there with “a real catastrophe like [Hurricane] Katrina,” which killed “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people.”

He then turns to a local official sitting next to him, and asks, “What is your death count as of this moment? Seventeen?”

“Sixteen,” the man replies.

“Sixteen versus in the thousands,” Trump says.

He also says, “I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget out of whack.”

President Trump: "Now I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you've thrown our budget a little out of whack" https://t.co/3DSMX2ysAx

— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 3, 2017

Maria was the most powerful hurricane to hit the island in nearly a century and unleashed floods and mudslides that knocked out the island’s entire electrical grid and telecommunications, along with many roads.

While early response efforts were hampered by logistical challenges, officials say that conditions, especially in the capital, have improved.

Even before the storm hit on Sept. 20, Puerto Rico was in dire condition thanks to a decade-long economic recession that had left its infrastructure, including the island’s power lines, in a sorry state.

— With AP