Trump Falsely Claims Nearly 3,000 Didn't Die In Puerto Rico
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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami/CNN) -- Nearly 3,000 people died in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
President Donald Trump denied this reality in a tweet Thursday morning as Hurricane Florence as barrels toward the Carolinas.
3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018
Earlier this month, the island's governor formally raised the death toll from Hurricane Maria to an estimated 2,975 from 64 following a study conducted by researchers at The George Washington University. The university study accounted for Puerto Ricans who succumbed to the stifling heat and other aftereffects of the storm and had not been previously counted in official figures. Much of the US territory was without power for weeks.
"The casualties mounted for a long time so I have no reason to dispute those numbers," said House Speaker Paul Ryan.
In a second tweet Thursday, Trump cast blame on Democrats, who he said are trying to make him look bad.
.....This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin called out Trump on Twitter.
This is what denial following neglect looks like: Mr Pres in the real world people died on your watch. YOUR LACK OF RESPECT IS APPALLING! pic.twitter.com/OJEDqT74Sr
— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 13, 2018
Sen. Bill Nelson also weighed in.
The president's comments on the nearly 3,000 American lives lost in Puerto Rico are shameful. We deserve and expect more from someone who holds the highest office in our country.
— Senator Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) September 13, 2018
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, a Democrat who is running for governor, also responded to Trump's claims.
No death is partisan and our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico deserved better from @realDonaldTrump before, during, and after the hurricane.
— Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) September 13, 2018
Both Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is running for Senate in the state, and former Rep. Ron DeSantis, who is running against Gillum, issued statements affirming their belief in the death count.
I disagree with @POTUS– an independent study said thousands were lost and Gov. Rosselló agreed. I've been to Puerto Rico 7 times & saw devastation firsthand. The loss of any life is tragic; the extent of lives lost as a result of Maria is heart wrenching. I'll continue to help PR
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) September 13, 2018
DeSantis' communications director echoed Scott's sentiment, telling reporters in a statement that the gubernatorial candidate "doesn't believe any loss of life has been inflated."
"Ron DeSantis has always worked to help the Puerto Rican community, both on the Island and here in Florida," said Stephen Lawson, communications director for the DeSantis campaign. "He doesn't believe any loss of life has been inflated. Ron is focused on continuing to help our Puerto Rican neighbors recover and create opportunities for those who have moved to Florida succeed."
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DeSantis' statement did not mention Trump by name, but his campaign's decision to come out against the President's view was particularly noteworthy given the candidate openly courted Trump during his primary campaign and has commended him countless times.
The study was commissioned by Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, a member of Puerto Rico's "New Progressive Party." It was conducted by the nonpartisan George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health.
There has been no evidence to indicate that partisan politics has played a role in the calculation of the death tally.
(©2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)