Day 254: For Trump, It’s Golf > Puerto Rico

As substandard efficiency and leadership in the wake of Hurricane Maria become more apparent everyday, Trump heads to a familiar retreat.

Last week, Donald Trump headed to his golf club for some R&R, despite the fact that a major hurricane, Maria, had demolished Puerto Rico just days earlier. Millions of American citizens were thrust into a dire humanitarian crisis and looking to the federal government for assistance.

Trump jetted to New Jersey that Thursday night to spend a long weekend at his private golf club there, save for a quick trip to Alabama for a political rally. Neither Trump nor any of his senior White House aides said a word publicly about the unfolding crisis.

Trump did hold a meeting at his golf club that Friday with half a dozen Cabinet officials — including acting Homeland Security secretary Elaine Duke, who oversees disaster response — but the gathering was to discuss his new travel ban, not the hurricane. Duke and Trump spoke briefly about Puerto Rico but did not talk again until Tuesday, an administration official said.

Fast forward a week.

Trump has now promised federal help, though he made sure to remind Puerto Ricans of their debt obligations and can’t stop exaggerating the level of assistance that he and his administration have provided thus far.

On Friday — despite being called out by the general he put on the ground in Puerto Rico — Trump tried offering excuses for substandard relief efforts in a way only he could.

Meanwhile, people on the island are begging for help.

So what is Trump doing this weekend? Sadly, you already know the answer.

254 days in, 1208 to go

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