President Trump said the reason why he didn’t speak with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto about the earthquake and hurricane that hit his country was due to a disruption in cellphone service.
“Spoke to President of Mexico to give condolences on terrible earthquake. Unable to reach for 3 days b/c of his cell phone reception at site,” Trump tweeted Thursday.
Spoke to President of Mexico to give condolences on terrible earthquake. Unable to reach for 3 days b/c of his cell phone reception at site.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2017
Trump had been criticized for not reaching out to Pena Nieto sooner when Hurricane Katia made landfall in southeastern Mexico. A 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit the other side of the country on Sept. 9, causing destruction.
Mexico had offered aid to Texas following the devastating rains of Hurricane Harvey, but had to pull that offer in order to respond to the multiple natural disasters.
Trump told reporters while traveling on Air Force One that he and Pena Nieto commiserated over their countries’ recent natural disaster and expressed their mutual condolences.
Trump told reporters he had not changed his mind about climate change following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
While climate change does not cause intense storms, it is seen by scientists as a factor in the intensity of storms. Trump, who often touted the size and strength of the storms on Twitter, downplayed them Thursday.
“We’ve had bigger storms,” he said.
When asked about his personal views on climate change, Trump declined to answer. In the past, he has referred to global warming as “bullshit” and a hoax invented by the Chinese.
