Posted on 09/15/2018 6:28:53 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló tore into President Trump on Friday as he continued to deny a scientific study which found that 3,000 people died on the island following a series of hurricanes last year.
“Mr. President — I’d very much be willing to walk you through the scientific process of the study and how @Gwtweets arrived at the excess mortality number estimate. There is no reason to underscore the tragedy we have suffered in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria,” Rosselló tweeted.
“In the meantime, I hope you consider sending a message of support to show you stand with all of the US Citizens in Puerto Rico that lost loved ones. It would certainly be an act of respect and empathy,” he continued.
Rosselló’s rebuke came after Trump doubled down on his claim, saying there was “no way” the death toll was that high after casting doubt on the researchers at George Washington University (GWU).
During a Friday night tweet storm, Trump said he was originally told the death toll following Hurricane Maria last fall was 16.
“Over many months it went to 64 PEOPLE. Then, like magic, ‘3000 PEOPLE KILLED,’” Trump wrote.
Rosselló also issued a scathing statement when Trump said his administration’s response to the hurricanes in Puerto Rico was an “unsung success” and “one of the best jobs that’s ever been done” with respect to emergency response.
“The historical relationship between Puerto Rico and Washington is unfair and unAmerican,” Rosselló said. “It is certainly not a successful relationship.”
Rosselló called on Trump to extend federal coverage for the housing restoration and clean-up that is still ongoing on the island.
“This was the worst natural disaster in our modern history,” he said. “Our basic infrastructure was devastated, thousands of our people lost their lives and many others still struggle.”
"Now is not the time to pass judgement; it is time to channel every effort to improve the lives of over 3 million Americans in Puerto Rico," he added.
Trump also this week claimed — without evidence — that Democrats inflated the death toll in Puerto Rico to make him look bad.
“This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!” he tweeted Thursday.
Rosselló last month updated the government's official death toll for Hurricane Maria to match the results of the study commissioned from GWU.
"We stand by the science underlying our study which found there were an estimated 2,975 excess deaths in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria," GWU's Milken Institute School of Public Health said in a statement this week. "We are confident that the number — 2,975 — is the most accurate and unbiased estimate of excess mortality to date."
The study reached its death-toll figure by comparing estimates of typical non-disaster death rates over six months to the actual mortality rate in Puerto Rico six months after the storm. A number of studies have found that the number of people who died as a result of the hurricane's impact was much higher than the number originally counted lost during the storm itself.
LIBRE PUERTO RICO!
Past time to dump this last “colony”.
Puerto Rico is an economic and infrastructural basket case, and the damn Puerto Ricans are to blame. Maybe Spain would take them back!
He who owns the spreadsheet wins.
The GWU method of analysis can be put other uses. For example, if we look at the murder rate in ‘Rat-controlled cities vs. GOP same, we can assert, per GWU, that ‘Rat mayors are guilty of genocide.
It’s “not a successful relationship”?
I haven’t studied this much but my initial reaction is, if you hate the US and its money so much, maybe it’s time to let it go. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Perhaps I’m wrong.
There is also no reason to exaggerate its extent.
Oh wait. Yes there is ...
This same science has long been used to prove the increased birth rate that follows extended periods of power outage.
Comparing one period of time to another lacks all semblance of scientific control.
This is another perfect example of proofs based on lies, then, damn lies, and, finally, statistics.
That would be quite interesting. Let’s see the proof.
Trump bhas access to info that we, including journalists, don’t.
Of course it’s all politics and why no republican is going to go down this path with the President. Campaigning is one thing with constantly counter-punching, but the more attention to death counts they can get the President to tweet about the better for them. Every single democrat says it shows the President is heartless and cruel with no empathy and there is tons of material for them on how bad the island still is...In politics the truth takes a back seat...This is basically a Charlottesville trap...it’s meant for democrats and their base and doesn’t get Trump one more vote.
Why estimate. It’s a f——-g island. Give up the actual body count and death certificate
The tragedy is an island in the path of so many Gulf hurricanes was not prepared. They compounded the tragedy themselves by not distributing aide to the people.
Loosen your grip on the pearls...This will not cost Trump one vote. For the media/left, every day is filled with “15 minutes of hate.” Trump supporters have tuned these 5th columnists out for the past 2 years.
Florida has become the test case for the open borders democrats and rinos. If these relocated citizens from PR can flip Florida, then Sherrod Brown’s dream of blanket amnesty can be used to flip other red states. Sherrod Brown told me several years ago we need to do blanket amnesty first, then we can decide how high to build a wall and how many border patrol people we need. I told him he was f$@?#@g insane.
Folks....the Island of Puerto Rico would have been totally destroyed if it were not for POTUS, Doanld J. Trump. Both The Democrat, Governor & the Mayor of San Juan cannot find their way to the nearest restroom, unless it is crammed with criminals and cheats.
The Island is not there yet, but...it is light years better then it ever was...thanks to POTUS, DJT and the State of Florida, that assisted so many hurricane refugees from PR.
Just remember Puerto Ricans, PR is an Island in the sea. You were saved because POTUS, Trump opened your airports and sea ports and ordered massive USA Navy and Air Force support to sustain the Island in crisis. Your beloved Democrat Governor & Communist Mayor of San Juan...did absolutely “ZILCh” to save you other then destroying the integrity of your electrical power grid across the island prior to the arrival of hurricane “Maria”. I am simply calling a spade, a spade!!! God Bless POTUS, DJT!!!
Take the media to the woodshed every day. Every.Single.Day.
I don't care if they cut down every branch on every tree, take the media to the woodshed every day.
Puerto Rico is a corrupt third world sh*thole. We should just cut them loose and let their corrupt @sshole politicians take full responsibility.
Just cut them loose.
This is a non-starter.
And it comes from GWU, the party school that Tuck Chodd flunked out of.
“Puerto Rico’s governor”
It’s almost impossible to underscore what a tragedy she is to the PR peoples.
“Puerto Rico’s governor to Trump: ‘No reason to underscore the tragedy’”
Somebody lied a-hole, and obviously it wasn’t the President.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.