>>THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS GOT QUITE A BIT OF CRITICISM FOR
ITS HANDLING OF THE RELIEF EFFORTS IN PUERTO RICO.
OF
COURSE HURRICANE MARIA HAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED POWER AND
ELECTRICITY IN THE ISLAND, AND IT HAS ALSO LED TO PEOPLE
PANICKING ABOUT THEIR ACCESS TO CLEAN DRAINING WATER, TO FOOD,
TO MEDICAL SUPPLIES, SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE HAD TO BURY
FAMILY MEMBERS IN THEIR FRONT YARD BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO ACCESS
TO SERVICES THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR A PROPER BURIAL, THINGS ARE BAD.
SO THE RESPONSE FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TOWARD THE RELIEF
EFFORT IN PUERTO RICO WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE RESPONSE
EFFORT OR THE RELIEF EFFORT IN HOUSTON AND IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
SO
I'M GLAD THAT THE MEDIA HAS STAYED ON THIS STORY AND
CONTINUES TO PRESSURE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT, AND IT APPEARS THAT TODAY THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
DONE SOMETHING.
THERE WAS THE JONES ACT, IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY
FORCE PUERTO RICO TO RECEIVE ALL OF ITS MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
FOR THE RELIEF EFFORT FROM U.S. SHIPS, AND AS A RESULT IT'S
ACTUALLY HINDERED THE RELIEF EFFORT BECAUSE OF COSTS, BECAUSE
OF LOGISTICAL ISSUES, AND SO POLITICIANS IN PUERTO RICO ASKED
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO PLEASE WAIVE THE
JONES ACT TEMPORARILY SO THEY CAN GET WHAT THEY NEED FOR THE
RELIEF EFFORT.
AT FIRST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEMED A
LITTLE UNWILLING TO DO SO, IN FACT LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT
THIS VIDEO OF TRUMP ADDRESSING THAT SITUATION EARLIER.
>>WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF SHIPPERS AND A
LOT OF PEOPLE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THE SHIPPING
INDUSTRY THAT DON'T WANT THE JONES ACT LIFTED, AND WE
HAVE A LOT OF SHIPS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
>>SO HE JUST -- THAT'S THE THING, TRUMP IS NOT TACTFUL.
ANY
OTHER POLITICIAN OR PRESIDENT WOULD FIND SOME SNEAKY WAY OF
MAKING AN EXCUSE, BUT TRUMP IS LIKE MY CRONIES IN THE
SHIPPING INDUSTRY WANT TO MAKE MONEY OFF THIS TERRIBLE
SITUATION SO I WILL LISTEN TO THEM.
>>WHILE
I WAS DRAINING THE SWAMP ONE DAY, ONE OF THE SWAMP CREATURES
GRAB MY LEG AND I SAID YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT THIS ONE TIME.
>>BY THE WAY, PUERTO RICO WASN'T SAYING YOU NEED TO LIFT THE
JONES ACT, REPEAL IT, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS PASSED IN THE 1920S
AND HAS COST PUERTO RICO A LOT, THEY PAY 40% MORE FOR THEIR
CARS, THEY PAY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE FOR
IMPORTS FROM THE MAINLAND, SO IT'S BEEN PRETTY NEGATIVE FOR
THE ECONOMY OF PUERTO RICO, AND REMEMBER THEY DON'T HAVE THE
SAME BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION STATES IN THE U.S. HAVE --
WHATEVER, POLITICIANS IN THE ISLAND ARE SAYING LOOK, JUST
TEMPORARILY WAIVE IT SO WE CAN GET THE MATERIALS WE NEED AND
NOT PAY AN ARM AND A LEG FOR IT.
SO FINALLY TRUMP AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AGREED, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS
RELEASED A TWEET TODAY SAYING THAT --
>>REAL QUICK -- IT WASN'T JUST LIBERALS CRITICIZING TRUMP FOR
HIS RESPONSE OR LACK THEREOF, THERE WERE SOME REPUBLICANS WHO
ALSO CRITICIZED HIM, JOHN MCCAIN BEING ONE OF THEM, BUT
LIEUTENANT GENERAL RUSSELL HONORE, WHO ACTUALLY LED THE
SUCCESSFUL RELIEF EFFORTS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA FOLLOWING
TRUMP'S FAILED EFFORTS, SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT TRUMP HAS
BEEN DOING OR HASN'T BEEN DOING, AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS AN
INCREDIBLY STRONG STATEMENT, I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU GUYS.
>>WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT, THE PRESIDENT SEEMS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY?
>>I WANT TO KEEP IT CLEAN, THAT'S A CRYING DAMN SHAME.
I
KNEW SINCE YESTERDAY THAT BIG SHOTS IN WALL STREET WERE MAKING
THIS CALL, AND THE PRESIDENT HAS SHOWN AGAIN HE DON'T GIVE A DAMN
ABOUT POOR PEOPLE, HE DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR,
AND THE S.O.B.
THAT RIDES AROUND IT AIR FORCE ONE IS DENYING
SERVICES NEEDED BY THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO.
I HATE TO SAY IT
THAT WAY BUT THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO SAY IT.
>>REMEMBER WHEN KANYE WAS CRITICIZED FOR THAT?
>>HERE
IS THE RESPONSE TO BUSH AFTER HIS FAILED EFFORTS OF KATRINA.
>>GEORGE BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE.
>>IN THE PAST FEW DAYS --
>>CAN WE WATCH THAT WILL MORE TIME?
IT'S THE BEST VIDEO EVER.
>>GEORGE BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE.
>>IN THE PAST FEW DAYS --
>>IS CHRIS TUCKER STANDING IN FRONT OF A REFRIGERATOR?
EVERY SMALL ASPECT OF THAT IS PERFECT.
>>MIKE MYERS IS LIKE -- IT TOOK A WHILE TO SINK IN.
ANY WAY,
THAT VIDEO IS AMAZING.
IT WAS DEFINITELY A KANYE MOMENT EXCEPT
IT WASN'T KANYE, IT WAS LIEUTENANT GENERAL WHO WENT INTO
NEW ORLEANS AND ACTUALLY -- I DON'T WANT TO SAY SUCCEEDED
BECAUSE THERE IS STILL A LOT OF DEVASTATION IN PARTS OF NEW
ORLEANS THAT WAS DAMAGED FROM THE HURRICANE, BUT HE ACTUALLY
MANAGED TO SUCCEED IN SOME THINGS WHEREAS BUSH HAD VERY
LITTLE RESPONSE.
SO IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM HIM NOW
AND HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY ABOUT ANOTHER REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENT, AND HIS INITIAL FAILURE TO REALLY ROBUSTLY
ADDRESS WHAT'S GOING ON IN PUERTO RICO.
>>THIS ALWAYS LEADS TO OTHER ASPECTS OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT THINGS, LIKE THE WAY TRUMP TOOK A COUPLE DAYS OR
SEEMED TO DETACHED AFTER IRMA HIT, OR WHEN W. FLEW OVER --
WHAT PEOPLE GENERALLY NEED IS NOT FOR THE PHOTO OP, WHICH
TRUMP EVENTUALLY DID WHEN HE WAS CARRYING SUPPLIES TO A PICKUP
TRUCK BECAUSE HE WAS HELPING SO MUCH, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHAT
PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.
PEOPLE SAID THE MAYOR OF ONE OF THE
CITIES IN PUERTO RICO IS LIVING IN THE SAME CONDITIONS AS HER
CITIZENS, SO SHE'S UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH, SO
WHEN SHE TALKS TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING SHE'S NOT
HEARING IT, SHE'S LIVING IT.
SO WHEN A GUY GOES TO VISIT THE
REASON YOU VISIT IS SO YOU DON'T ONLY CARE ABOUT THE SHIPPING
GUYS, YOU CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE BECAUSE YOU ARE
LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW PEOPLE WERE LIVING LIKE THAT.
BUT YOU DON'T
CHOOSE TO GO THERE BECAUSE -- SO NOW YOU CAN MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T
GIVEN YOURSELF A CHANCE TO CARE ABOUT THEM.
YOU CARE ABOUT
PEOPLE YOU ARE CLOSER TO, THAT'S HOW HUMAN NATURE IS.
PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT GAY PEOPLE UNTIL THEY HAVE ONE
IN THE FAMILY.
>>WE HAD SIGNS OF THIS DURING HIS CAMPAIGN, THIS IS A MAN WHO
INSTEAD OF WORKING THE IOWA CAUCUS, WHICH HE LOST, HE
SWOOPED IN ON HIS JET, WAS OUTSIDE OF THE CAUCUS, GAVE A
SPEECH AND WANTED EVERYONE TO COME TO HIM.
HE HAS A HISTORY OF
NOT GETTING DOWN ON THE GROUND WITH FOLKS.
HE'S A GERMOPHOBE,
HE DOESN'T LIKE PEOPLE, AND WHEN YOU ARE A POLITICIAN WHO DOESN'T
LIKE PEOPLE THESE MOMENTS COST YOU THE PRESIDENCY.
>>I HOPE IT COSTS HIM THE PRESIDENCY.
I THINK IT HAS TAKEN
A VERY LONG TIME FOR SOME OF HIS VOTERS, AND I'M NOT TALKING
ABOUT HIS BASE, HIS BASE IS STILL PRETTY LOYAL TO HIM, I'M
TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE I REALLY DON'T WANT TO VOTE
FOR HILLARY CLINTON SO I'M VOTING FOR THE OTHER GUY, SOME
PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR HIM ARE NOW THINKING, WAIT, DOES HE CARE
ABOUT ME?
BECAUSE AFTER HE GOT ELECTED HIS RESPONSE TO
CRITICISMS OVER WHY HE HASN'T FILLED HIS CABINET WITH AVERAGE
AMERICANS WAS I DON'T WANT POOR PEOPLE WORKING FOR ME.
WHAT DOES
THAT SAY AS AN AMERICAN WHO VOTED FOR HIM OUT OF ECONOMIC
DESPERATION?
I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT.
BUT I
THINK YOU ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER, AND THIS IS JUST ME PLAYING
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, THAT A PRESIDENT GOING TO THE STORM
STRICKEN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY IS ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF A
LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN POLITICIANS IN TEXAS,
AND FLORIDA, I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD ABOUT IT IN PUERTO RICO,
BUT IN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED BY HURRICANES,
THAT HAVE SAID ACTUALLY HAVING THE PRESIDENT HERE WOULD BE A
NIGHTMARE SO WE ARE GLAD HE'S NOT COMING.
SO THAT'S THE OTHER
SIDE OF IT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE REPRESENT.
REAL QUICK, HERE
ARE THE OTHER RELIEF EFFORTS THAT HAVE JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED.
>>SO THE MILITARY IS NOW HEAVILY INVOLVED, AND IT SEEMS
AS THOUGH THE RELIEF EFFORTS ARE TAKEN MUCH MORE SERIOUSLY.
AND
SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS ALL AROUND, AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE GET THE
MATERIALS THEY NEED INCLUDING FUEL, GAS, WATER -- FUEL AND GAS
ARE THE SAME THING, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT --
MEDICAL SUPPLIES, IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THERE'S SOMEWHAT OF A
POSITIVE UPDATE TO THIS.
>>LET'S NOT FORGET IN TRUMP'S BUDGET THEY WANT TO CUT FEMA.
>>OF COURSE THEY DO.