Florida Democratic Rep. Darren Soto slammed former President Trump and Republicans for their criticism of the Biden administration’s response to the Maui fires, drawing a contrast with the Trump administration’s response to Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Republicans have been sharply critical of President Biden, who did not publicly address the disaster for several days after the fires broke out.
Trump, who was the subject of similar criticism on several occasions while in office, called Biden’s response “disgraceful.”
“Donald Trump’s shameful and cruel response to Hurricane Maria remains among the most irresponsible and deadly decisions of his presidency,” said Soto.
“This from the same guy who tossed paper towels at Puerto Ricans when they needed his help the most, suggested nuking a hurricane to stop its progress and used a black sharpie to lie about the path of an incoming storm.”
Soto, the first Florida congressman of Puerto Rican origin, started his first term in office months before Maria hit the island in 2017.
He was among the loudest voices calling for disaster relief for Puerto Rico at the time, often joining forces with Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R) on calls for the Trump administration to send aid.
Soto’s central Florida district is a prime destination for Puerto Ricans who move stateside.
According to the U.S. census, about 440,000 Puerto Ricans left the island between 2010 and 2020, a trend accelerated by the aftermath of Maria, as federal emergency agencies were unprepared to respond to the magnitude of that disaster.
Though Trump tweeted in solidarity with Puerto Rico ahead of the storm hitting on Sept. 19, 2017, he took five days to publicly address the issue again and 13 days to fly to the island.
Biden is due to land in Maui on Monday, 13 days after the fires first broke out.
The White House has dismissed any criticism of Biden’s response, noting that the timing of the president’s visit to Maui was coordinated with Gov. Josh Green (D) to avoid disrupting rescue efforts.
“Americans remember that when things get hard, Donald Trump walks away, blames someone else, or displays his staggering incompetence. He and his cronies use tragedies that ruin the lives of American families as political footballs to distract from their own historic failures of leadership,” said Soto.