In his first visit to Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, President Donald Trump tossed paper towels at suffering survivors Tuesday.
A small number of the more than 3 million residents in Puerto Rico still without power were gifted paper towels, which Trump apparently thought was the most pressing need for those in the crowd.
Video of the event shows him tossing the paper towels like a child trying to play basketball. It’s all very underwhelming.
After Puerto Rico’s governor told Trump that only 16 people had been reported dead, Trump said the storm wasn’t a “real catastrophe” like Hurricane Katrina.
“Everybody watching can really be very proud of what’s taken place in Puerto Rico,” he added.
Later on Tuesday, the government revised the death count to 34. The number is likely to go up again as more information about the storm’s destruction emerges.
During Tuesday’s visit, Trump also lambasted Puerto Rico for creating a budget strain.
“I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack,” he said.
The comments follow a public lashing Trump gave to San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz after she begged the U.S. government for help. Instead, Trump attacked her on Twitter while at his New Jersey golf resort.
Retired Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré tore down the president’s tweets.
“The mayor’s living on a cot, and I hope the president has a good day at golf,” Honoré told CNN.
At least now the people of Puerto Rico have some towels to help clean up the mess Trump has exacerbated.