The commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday that the Trump administration was “committed” to helping Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
“I know that the [federal] efforts that I saw were very much committed to the citizens of the commonwealth of Puerto Rico,” Adm. Karl Schultz told ABC’s “This Week” when asked if he agreed with President Trump that the federal efforts in Puerto Rico were successful.
As Hurricane Florence targeted the Carolinas, the administration’s response to Maria, which hit the island last September, has been again called into question after Trump denied the death count estimate in Puerto Rico.
Schultz did not comment directly on the George Washington University study that estimated almost 3,000 people died as a result of the storm — which Trump has questioned.
“I’m not calling any numbers into doubt, what I’m saying is that, as our team was part of it we were very much supported and empowered to get down there and try to be helpful,” Schultz said.
He added: “The response in Maria was massive. It’s an island, which makes things challenging. The supplies that were lifted in by sea and air.”
