Here are Trump's statements on why he's a bit "hesitant" to help out the American citizens in Puerto Rico.....
"It's very tough because it's an island...an island sitting in the middle of an ocean — and it's a big ocean. It's a very big ocean." “This isn’t like Florida...This is a thing called the Atlantic Ocean. This is tough stuff.”
Perhaps someone should tell Trump that we have the U.S. Navy to overcome that "terrible" setback called an ocean (or perhaps someone should tell Trump that Puerto Rico is really in the Caribbean, and not in the middle of that ocean.)
Anyway, expect soon for Trump to blame Obama for leaving him with that huge problem called the Atlantic Ocean (which tends to not always be "pacific?")
The orange clown is, once again, showing the symptoms of the dreaded onset of dementia.
It's very tough because it's an island...an island sitting in the middle of an ocean — and it's a big ocean. It's a very big ocean." “This isn’t like Florida...This is a thing called the Atlantic Ocean. This is tough stuff.”
That remark was the source of a good couple minutes worth of laughter a lunch today, mainly because it's such a insipid statement. We concluded that it was a shame none of us is an elementary school teacher for were one of us, he could find out whether 10 year-olds could think of something more thoughtful to say about helping Puerto Rico/Ricans.
He's musing on the difficulties involved. Can you get more anal? Trump has said far more than this one statement idiot.
Whatever....how does the army get supplies to people in remote locations?
If Trump were determined to get men and supplies into Puerto Rico, the Atlantic Ocean need not be a problem. Doing so is a matter of will, not wherewithal.
The U.S. has used that method since at least the Korean War....You remember, back when America was great.
I do think some of you are laying too much blame on Trump for the terrible predicament in Puerto Rico, because of your intense dislike of everything he says and does.
Yes, the military can send in supplies that way, but part of the problem in Puerto Rico has been that with coms out, they haven't until very recently KNOWN what the needs were because they couldn't reach them either physically or by radio. And they still can't, some places. They aren't going to start willy-nilly air dropping supplies all over PR in hopes someone needs them.
A congresswoman speaking on behalf of PR was on PBS Newshour last night asking that the military take over the operations and get things coordinated, besides bringing in their better equipment. I don't know if that's happening.
I will say that the media is doing what it should this time by bringing the problems to light; it is certainly strengthening the response. Puerto Rico is in trouble. People on the ground there are making it known that the response is not meeting the need, for whatever reasons. I don't think it's because Trump doesn't like PR's. I think it's because this has just been a really bad situation and it's really hard to get all the help in there as quickly as they could to our hurricane sites on the mainland, where you can drive quite close to the affected areas. Losing coms, power and then the fuel to run the generators has been a nightmare 123 punch.
Yes, the military can send in supplies that way, but part of the problem in Puerto Rico has been that with coms out, they haven't until very recently KNOWN what the needs were because they couldn't reach them either physically or by radio.
I'm all about trying to be equitable....But seriously? The place was completely devastated! We knew that just an hour or so after Maria left the island. Everybody there needs damn near everything!
The island has 3.5M people and
pretty much all of them are in dire straits. (PR is 40 miles wide north-to-south; the cat5 storm hit PR square on and had a
"pinhole" eye) Make an educated guess, put stuff on pallets, load it into C-130s/helicopters, and send it on its way. "Rinse and repeat" all day, everyday until a container ship or two arrives and wherefrom helicopters can take more specifically targeted supplies and personnel.
Obvious first drop items:
- Food, particularly canned food, that can be consumed without additional cooking and that will keep without refrigeration.
- Water -- Those people are in a state of "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink"
- Fuel
- Generators
- Extension cords
- Batteries and lamps
- Radios
- Antibiotics and antimalarials
I'm sure there are other items that're reasonably anticipatable as being needed in the first 72 hours to week after the hurricane has left a given area. The U.S. has experienced enough hurricane hits that our post-hurricane aid and relief experts (FEMA) can make very well educated guesses about what to deliver during the first 72 hours to week. Those sorts of things are needed everywhere in PR.
Just how different do you think might be the needs of PR in comparison with/to those of other localities that after a hurricane have
zero power? Let me repeat that:
NO POWER! The
whole island has no power.
- That means, among other things, no running water because the pumps that get water to people are powered by electricity. So if nothing else, people need water.
- That means there's no fuel that can be pumped because there's no power.
- That means food has or is on the verge of spoiling because there's no refrigeration.
- That means no communication with people who need stuff.
That last thing is critical. A plane or helicopter flying overhead will be seen. Hell, if need be, they can skywrite instructions or notices of where the supply drops will be.

(click the pic and watch the video on the site)
Or they can use "banner planes" to get messages out to people. Businesses do it all summer long at the shore.
And sometimes not at the shore
Alternatively, a helo can fly close enough to the ground to give people instructions about what to do to indicate they are present in "such and such" a location and need help getting out or whatever and/or where to go to get supplies and help.
The point of all the above is that:
- Precise knowledge isn't needed in the first days to week in order to get crucial supplies to a place that needs everything and that has no electricity.
- The notion that PR is an island and thus we can't get supplies to them within the first hours and days after the storm is utter BS. It's just an excuse for what is really a lack of will to do anything in a rapid and deliberate way.
Just as I can anticipate what will be needed, so can others. All it takes is for Trump to say the word, and those people can come up with "bright ideas" to, with great alacrity and aplomb, overcome the challenges and make it seem as though they didn't exist. We put men on the Moon, getting supplies a few hundred miles across the ocean to PR is no great challenge if we have the will to keep it from being one.