Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized President Trump for neglecting to address Puerto Rico as Trump has focused his energy slamming the NFL and any players who choose to protest the National Anthem.
“He clearly doesn’t want to talk about Puerto Rico,” Clinton said in an interview Monday with MSNBC host, Chris Hayes. “You know, what, more than 3.5 million American citizens, along with the U.S. Virgin Islands. Not interested. Doesn’t say a word about it. Now FEMA is down there.”
“I’ve called on them to send the Navy, particularly the naval hospital ship called U.S. Comfort. I really think that would be a big help. We don’t hear a word. And we don’t hear anybody high up in the administration. You don’t hear from the vice president or anybody else. So he doesn’t think that has any political relevance, and it’s certainly not personally important.”
“He attacks black athletes as he did starting with his rally in Alabama,” she added. “Continued on Twitter. He attacks them for protesting peacefully for equality, for standing up for what they believe. And he does it once again to dog whistle to his base and to try to detract attention from other things that are going on. But it’s quite telling that he is willing to attack black athletes. He never says anything of an insulting manner towards white supremacists or neo-nazis or Ku klux Klan-ers or Vladimir Putin, right?”
Trump issued a series of tweets slamming the NFL and called for players to be fired if they declined to stand for the National Anthem.
“If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem,” he said in two separate tweets. “If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”
Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria last week after it hit the island as a Category 4 storm. The entire island has no power and officials have said power may not return for another four to six months. As a result, food, water, and gas are becoming scarse.
Trump finally broke his silence regarding Puerto Rico on Monday night after Clinton made her comments.
“Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble..,” he tweeted.
Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Monday lawmakers were working with the Trump administration to bring additional relief funding to Puerto Rico.
