WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says he’ll visit Puerto Rico next Tuesday to survey damage caused by Hurricane Maria.
Trump announced the visit after the administration was criticized for the pace of its response to widespread damage on the Caribbean island that is home to more than 3.4 million U.S. citizens. Puerto Ricans have been coping with shortages of food, drinking water, electricity and various forms of communication ever since the Category 4 storm slammed into island last week.
Trump said Tuesday is the earliest he can visit without disrupting recovery and relief operations.
He pushed back against the notion that the administration wasn’t acting quickly enough to help, saying supplies could be delivered by truck to Texas and Florida after recent hurricanes in both states, but that Puerto Rico is unique because of its location.
“The difference is this is an island sitting in the middle of an ocean and it’s a big ocean, it’s a very big ocean,” Trump said Tuesday during a White House meeting with lawmakers about the tax plan he’s rolling out this week. “We’re doing a good job.”