Because of #FakeNews my people are not getting the credit they deserve for doing a great job. As seen here, they are ALL doing a GREAT JOB! pic.twitter.com/1ltW2t3rwy
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
Trump praises FEMA, military for Puerto Rico relief efforts
By
Social Links for
Mary Kay Linge
Published
Sep. 30, 2017, 8:53 p.m. ET
President Trump’s full-throated social media defense of his administration’s response to Hurricane Maria culminated in an evening tweet that praised FEMA workers and military personnel with an official-looking video.
“Because of #FakeNews my people are not getting the credit they deserve for doing a great job,” Trump posted at 6:46 pm. “As seen here, they are ALL doing a GREAT JOB!”
The nearly 10-minute video included quotes of praise from Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, images of Marines clearing roads, and aerial footage of the island’s devastation.
It closed with a Trump-signed message of support: “We are with you Puerto Rico! Together, we will get through this!”
The president’s messages were echoed in unusually feisty tweets from Vice President Mike Pence and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders that praised Trump, Rossello, and the FEMA response in a sharp pushback against a developing media narrative.
Pence tweeted on his official Vice Presidential account at 6:18 p.m.: “With leadership of @POTUS & @ricardorossello – @FEMA & Team Puerto Rico making real progress. Millions more meals & water delivered today.”
“For those who don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story here’s the actual timeline of massive federal response in Puerto Rico,” Sanders posted in a tweet that linked to a detailed FEMA-generated chart of its actions before and after the devastating storm.