President Trump said Monday night that Puerto Rico is in “deep trouble” because Hurricane Maria inflicted massive damage on an island already struggling with debt and weak infrastructure.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump said “much of the island was destroyed” by Maria, but added that Puerto Rico’s billions in debt to Wall Street and banks “sadly, must be dealt with.”
“Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble,” the president said. “It’s old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated.”
The president said food, water and medical supplies “are top priorities - and doing well.” Some have criticized the administration for moving too slowly with relief aid for the island.
Before Maria hit, Puerto Rico was already dealing with the worst debt crisis in U.S. municipal history, having defaulted on more than $70 billion owed to creditors.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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