Clinton: I’m not sure Trump knows Puerto Ricans are US citizens

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said in a Monday interview that she is not sure if President Trump is aware of the fact that Puerto Ricans are citizens of the United States.

In reference to Trump’s recent attacks on NFL players protesting during the national anthem, Clinton commented that the president needs to shift focus to Puerto Rico and its recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. 

“At the same time that he was doing all of that, we had American citizens in Puerto Rico who are in a desperate condition,” Clinton told a radio show in an interview reported by The Washington Post.

“He has not said one word about them, about other American citizens in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I’m not sure he knows that Puerto Ricans are American citizens.”

{mosads}

The former secretary of State’s comments come as Puerto Rico reels from the impact of Maria, which prompted the White House to send two top officials to the U.S. territory to assess the damage. Federal Emergency Management Agency  Administrator Brock Long and homeland security adviser Tom Bossert on Monday traveled to the island, the White House said.

The island’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, is pleading for additional help and resources, urging Congress to pass an aid package so it can continue its recovery efforts.

“We need more help. We need more help with resources. We need more help with people being deployed so that we can get logistical support elsewhere,” Rosselló said in a Tuesday morning interview.

Some officials have warned that the island could be without power for as long as six months as it recovers from the devastation.