A slew of Puerto Ricans have remarked on President Donald Trump’s upcoming State of the Union address, in which they hope the president will address the state of their ravaged land following a brutal hurricane.
After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico Sept. 20, thousands of residents were left without electricity, water and cellphone service for months. Despite visiting the island and signing a $36.5 billion emergency aid measure to refill disaster accounts, provide a cash infusion and bail out the federal flood insurance program, Trump has received considerable flack from Democrats and Puerto Ricans for failing to repair the island faster.
Given that Puerto Rico is located thousands of miles away from the mainland, flying and shipping aid has proven difficult. “It’s healing, and it’s getting better, and we’re getting them power, and all of the things that they have to have,” Trump said in November.
As of Monday, roughly 30 percent of the island had not regained electricity, according to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
“I don’t have much to say to him because he doesn’t listen, you know. He already has things mapped out and Puerto Rico certainly doesn’t have any consideration in that plan,” a resident told BuzzFeed News. “We have the same rights as other Americans,” another Puerto Rican resident said, claiming that Trump isn’t doing everything he can and should be for them.
The president is expected to talk extensively about tax reform, infrastructure and immigration in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.
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