We've heard a lot of different facts
about how Puerto Rico is faring
in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
And while President Trump says Puerto Rico is doing great,
I only believe what I can see with my own eyes
and touch with my own
no-problem-down-there-sized hands.
That's why I flew down to Puerto Rico
to find out the truth about Trump's recovery efforts myself.
Take a look.
I've watched Puerto Rico
face an unprecedented amount of damage after Hurricane Maria.
But I was impressed by President Trump
when he swung in, paper towels in hand,
and he cleaned up that mess
to his own rave reviews.
We have done an incredible job.
What is your death count as of this moment, 17?
-16 certified. -16 people.
I give ourselves a ten.
A ten. A ten.
So I headed down to gather thank yous
and see Donald Trump's perfect score firsthand.
Puerto Rico!
Ten out of ten?
Ten out of ten.
Ten.
The cables are more of a six.
Probably, like, a three.
Jesus.
I don't even know what that is. That's...
that's probably, like, a two.
Okay, so if I'm keeping score,
we're probably averaging out to about a 6.5.
But if you round up, that's a ten, baby.
And in the neighborhoods of San Juan,
people are even back to work,
specifically kids.
These kids organized getting generators
for this community center so it has power to teach other kids.
Did it all by themselves. Didn't need adults' help.
Probably should offer my help. I should...
They got it now anyway.
These kids were working hard but not in school,
because, technically, only 40% of the schools are open
and 60% of people have no power.
Half a million people are without clean water.
But, still, I could tell this was a good news story.
Right, DHS Secretary Elaine Duke?
I know it-it is really a good news story
in terms of our ability to-to reach people
and the limited number of deaths that have taken place.
"Limited number"-- that makes it almost sound special.
But some people had their own narrative.
Damn it, this is not a good news story.
Unbelievable. Mayor Cruz should be saying thank you,
but, instead, she's on the warpath.
I want to confront Mayor Cruz to talk to her
about some of the language she's using
to communicate with our president, Donald Trump.
This is a ten out of 100, which is still a failing grade.
There's no power, no communications,
no phones, and no electricity.
Is that a ten out of a ten?
It's tough for America to get supplies here.
You can't drive a truck here. I don't know if you realize that.
That's right, 'cause we are an island surrounded by water.
-Lots and lots of water. Ocean water, right? -Exactly. Exactly.
We didn't know that until this happened.
Well, that's what I'm saying. It's-it's difficult.
Don't you think you need to give us a little leeway?
The most powerful country in the world
can't get their logistics together?
-I don't think so. -I saw pictures.
You're out having fun swimming, and he's out there making deals
on a golf course.
When you're playing golf rather than helping people,
it may give you a distorted way of looking at things.
Yes, Cruz is one of those local Never Trumpers
who's continually pushing the false narrative
that Texas or Florida got more recovery money
than Puerto Rico.
That's actually a lot more.
Now, Donald Trump, when he came here...
Oh, my God, that man is a disaster.
What? The man protects people after a disaster.
-Not my president. -Well-well, he sure is.
You voted for him.
I, as a Puerto Rican, was not permitted to vote.
What is she even talking about? Back up.
What is a Puerto Rico?
Treat me like a dumb American
who knows nothing about Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, precarious territory,
um, basically abandoned, but, yeah, this is America.
It's like a Cuba?
Uh, definitely no.
-It's not a Cuba. -It's not a Cuba.
-It's like a Guam? -Eh, probably,
-in the sense that we've been neglected -A Florida Key?
by the U.S. government, but yes.
As long as we live on the island,
we are not entitled to vote for the president
or our duly elected representatives in Congress.
Apparently, Puerto Rico is part of the U.S.
Its people are citizens, but they have no voting rights.
What's worse, Puerto Rico is suffering under crippling debt,
and they are legally forbidden to declare bankruptcy,
unlike cities in the mainland U.S.,
where that happens all the time.
On top of that, there's this.
The thing that Donald Trump can do is declare the law,
the Jones Act, null.
Just scrap it.
The Jones Act is an obscure law that says
all goods transported between American ports
must be carried by American ships,
which means foreign ships coming to Puerto Rico
either pay big tariffs or reroute to mainland U.S.,
where they transfer the cargo to a U.S. ship.
And all those dollar signs are paid for by the people
of Puerto Rico, making it a fortune to rebuild.
I don't want more-- I just want equal.
All this talk of history,
feels like a lot of you guys are just looking behind you.
From where I'm sitting, it's beautiful.
Ten out of ten.
GONZALEZ: Maybe. I don't know.
KLEPPER: Hmm. Okay, maybe there was more to this recovery
than I initially thought.
I think I'm starting to put it together. When
Donald Trump said it was a ten,
he wasn't talking about his response.
He was talking about the response he inspired.
See, he's always thinking a couple of steps ahead.
So many steps, often, he's behind.
So that I like to call "trickle down responsibility."
People in the community, well, then they're the ones
who step up, they come together,
and they fix the problems, they move forward as a people,
and thus become that much more united.
And we all know Donald Trump-- he's a uniter.
You see it here.
Getting lost
wandering back to my hotel
because there was no GPS, Wi-Fi or streetlights,
I came across this--
a generator-powered bar of people finding community.
(upbeat music playing)
I saw this over and over in my time on the island--
families filling carts with supplies
to deliver to hurting neighborhoods.
WOMAN: We're survivors,
but right now, we still need a lot of help.
KLEPPER: People adopting long-forgotten pets.
WOMAN 2: We need adoptions,
and we need to get planes to ship these dogs out.
KLEPPER: Soup kitchens popping up in closed restaurants
to help hungry people in neighboring towns.
It's, like, you don't sit down and wait to be fed.
You work for it. You work hard.
There's a famous quote.
I don't know who said it. But it's like,
"Give a man a fish, and he will eat one day.
Help teach him how to fish, and he will eat forever."
That was Reagan. Smart guy.
The people, the politicians, the cooks, the animal rescuers,
the kids, that guy-- I think I met him earlier--
they are the ten out of ten that Trump was talking about.
It seems like a lot of people doing small things was making
a big difference.
It made me think a lot about myself.
I'm wondering if I could do something, like,
the bare minimum.
Great reporting, Jordan. Great.
(cheers and applause)
Hey there. Hey, Mr. Commander-in-Chief,
this message is for you.
Your heroic near-efforts have inspired so many people
in Puerto Rico to step up and take actions for themselves.
And for that, you deserve a big thank you.
So we brought you back a gift
from the island to show our gratitude.
-This is Izzy... -AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Aw.
...one of the many abandoned animals we saw down there.
-(applause and cheering) -Izzy's such a good girl, or boy.
I don't know. I wasn't allowed to have pets when I was a kid.
And Izzy is ready to be the official first dog of America.
You see, you're the first president in 150 years
to not have a pet at The White House.
Now, some lefties are using this against you,
saying it's evidence of your lack of kindness and empathy,
and that you'd never be able to take care of something
-that doesn't immediately benefit you. -(laughter)
By adopting Izzy, you can prove them all wrong.
And who knows?
A good photo op with your new furry friend
could get your approval rating back
-in the low forties where it belongs. -(laughter)
-Yeah! -(applause and cheering)
And Izzy... Izzy is so excited to come live with you.
Aren't you, girl? Or boy?
She's such a good girl or boy.
So, come pick Izzy up.
Our only request is that, when you do,
you'll tell us about your plans for the island.
We'll take care of, uh, her or him here at The Opposition
until you're able to stop by.
But it's not just Trump.
Everyone can take a little step to help Puerto Rico recover.
Here are a few of the many sources
where you can get more information on how
to support ongoing relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
-The Opposition will return. -(cheers and applause)