Irate Democratic Congressman Blasts Lazy Trump For Killing People In Puerto Rico

Last updated on September 13th, 2018 at 10:50 am

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Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) called out Trump for killing people in Puerto Rico through his lazy response to the hurricane.

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Gutierrez said on MSNBC‘s All In With Chris Hayes:

How do you celebrate and declare a success when officially now the deaths are over 3,000? And, you know, Chris, that’s the latest study. One accepted by the government of Puerto Rico that never wanted to change the numbers and was complicit with this president in trying to hide the real calamity and deaths and the lack of action of the American government.

But let me say this. The Harvard study said it was over 4,000. And, Chris, I was there within ten days. I was there within ten days, not because the government allowed me to go facilitate it, because Donald Trump did everything he could to stop any oversight, over the conduct of the American government, and what it was doing to facilitate. I think the mayor of San Juan was absolutely correct, you let people die. And, you know, if you think a success is having the deaths of people on your hands, let me — because I think it’s important to put it into context, Chris.

He said two things. He said, well, you know, the people of Puerto Rico would be better off, but they want us to do everything for them. So he called us lazy. And then he said, wow, you’re busting my budget. He called us worthless, or not meritorious of sufficient government. This is a president of the United States with a catastrophic situation in Puerto Rico unprecedented in Puerto Rico with thousands of people dying and saying how expensive and how lazy we are. The only one who was lazy was you, Mr. President. You were lazy, and you weren’t on duty, and people died because of it.

It is absurd that Trump is trying to spin the deaths of 3,000 US citizens into a success. More people died in Puerto Rico because of Trump‘s negligence and incompetence than died on 9/11. Trump used the looming crisis of Hurricane Florence to push a new lie about his lack of response to Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria.

Rep. Gutierrez was correct to be outraged, and the American people must not allow him to get away with these lies.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association