‘The View’ host trashes Trump’s Puerto Rico comments: Government ‘allowed its own citizens to die’

“The View” host Sunny Hostin attacked President Trump on Wednesday after he referred to his administration’s cleanup efforts on the island of Puerto Rico a “success.”

Hostin called the president’s comments “humiliating” and “embarrassing for our country.”

“I don’t think this president cares. I don’t think he cares,” Hostin, a former network news legal analyst, said.

{mosads}”When you talk about Katrina, the deaths in Puerto Rico eclipsed Katrina by 1,100,” she added, referring to the territorial government’s recent update of an official death count to nearly 3,000 people.

“What is shocking is that he’s calling it a success when his administration just took millions of dollars away from FEMA to give it to ICE,” she added, referring to a claim made by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) about the Department of Homeland Security’s recent transfer of about $33.1 million to Immigration and Customs Enforcement from other DHS agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Her comments came just hours after the president told reporters in the Oval Office that the Trump administration’s response to Hurricane Maria’s devastation on Puerto Rico was “an incredible, unsung success” of his presidency.

“I think probably the hardest one we had by far was Puerto Rico because of the island nature, and I actually think it was one of the best jobs that’s ever been done with respect to what this is all about,” Trump told reporters during a briefing on preparations for Hurricane Florence.

“The job that FEMA and law enforcement and everybody did working along with the governor in Puerto Rico, I think was tremendous,” Trump added. “I think that Puerto Rico was an incredible, unsung success.”

His comments were also noticed by San Juan’s mayor, Carmen Yulín Cruz, who has regularly criticized the administration’s response to the disaster since the storm’s landfall last year.

“Trump simply does not get it. Thus his neglect towards Puerto Rico cost about 3,000 lives. Unfortunately, it seems he will never get it,” she wrote Tuesday.

“Success? Federal response according to Trump in Puerto Rico a success? If he thinks the death of 3,000 people [is] a success God help us all,” she added.

The Trump administration’s handling of disaster relief efforts was heavily scrutinized last year and has again made headlines this week ahead of the expected landfall of Hurricane Florence. Florence, a Category 4 storm, is expected to hit the East Coast later this week.