AFT’s Weingarten on Trump’s Puerto Rico Death Toll Lie

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after President Trump falsely claimed that the Hurricane Maria-related death toll of 2,975 was inflated by Democrats for political purposes.

“Given that the president’s main contact with the suffering from Hurricane Maria was lobbing paper towels at a press conference, it’s not surprising he would try to deny the real magnitude of the destruction. Worse, between the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s refusal to pay for 97 percent of the funerals of the victims and Trump’s false comments on the death toll, this administration is trying to erase the memory of the American citizens who perished. It’s both a human tragedy and an unconscionable attempt to rewrite history.

“Thankfully, independent researchers have worked for months to uncover the truth, and educators, activists and others are working every day to rebuild a stronger Puerto Rico, even as the federal government has left them behind.

“The president’s blatant lying and obfuscation to cover up his botched response is typical. It ignores the devastation on the island, as schools and communities struggled without water and electricity for months. But while the president dithered, the people of Puerto Rico fought to turn schools into community hubs to distribute food and rebuild basic infrastructure.

“By doubling down on egregious falsehoods, it’s easy to see why the president is hemorrhaging respect and approval in the polls. He and the GOP have broken their promises to too many Americans, and come November, they won’t forget it.”