
The Internet has always been quick to react to President Donald Trump‘s public comments and that was no different today as the Commander in Chief said in Puerto Rico that the cost of repairs and relief was throwing the U.S. budget “out of whack.”
“I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown out budget a little out of whack,” Trump said (per TheWrap). “Because we’ve spent on a lot of money on Puerto Rico. And that’s fine we’ve saved a lot of lives.”
He also said that Puerto Rico should be “proud” that only 16 people have died compared to the “thousands” from Hurricane Katrina.
“Every death is a horror, but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you at the tremendous – hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, and you look at what happened here, with really a storm that was just totally overpowering, nobody’s ever seen anything like this,” Trump said (per Philly.com), before turning asking a local official how many people had died in storm. “What is your death count as of this moment? 17? 16 people certified, 16 people versus in the thousands.”
These comments didn’t sit well those in Hollywood who took to Twitter to respond.
I hate to tell you, @realDonaldTrump, but you’ve thrown our humanity out of whack. https://t.co/2mYtz3TzaR
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 3, 2017
Donald, the disaster in Puerto Rico IS a real catastrophe and your budget issues are NOT their fault. How about just stop talking. Just stop https://t.co/SD6SeopGoD
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 3, 2017
Historically speaking, it’s always fascinating 2 remind myself that in my lifetime we elected both the 1st Black President & the 1st monster https://t.co/0zQc8F0C2x
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) October 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/TheAdamGoldberg/status/915270549873594369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewrap.com%2Fcelebrities-rage-on-twitter-after-donald-trump-complains-about-cost-of-helping-puerto-rico%2F
Translation: So, you see, Puerto Rico isn't MY Katrina, so therefore I haven't done anything wrong. No need to thank me with an apology https://t.co/NC1oiescMa
— Colin Hanks (@ColinHanks) October 3, 2017
Register to vote!
Impeach. https://t.co/2GyN4axvVk— Judd Apatow 🇺🇦 (@JuddApatow) October 3, 2017
According to Philly.com, Trump’s visit was meant to be “highly scripted,” with updates on relief efforts and meetings with senior military personnel and local politicians. This includes San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who has been critical of Trump on Twitter and whom the President has shot back at as well. Following his impromptu remarks, Trump shifted the focus to his administration.
“I think it’s now acknowledged what a great job we’ve done, and people are looking at that,” he said. “And in Texas and in Florida, we get an A-plus. And I’ll tell you what, I think we’ve done just as good in Puerto Rico, and it’s actually a much tougher situation. But now the roads are cleared, communications is starting to come back. We need their truck drivers to start driving trucks.”
Needless to say, there’s never a dull moment between Donald Trump and Hollywood.