Even for Joe —yikes!
While visiting Puerto Rico on Monday, President Biden surveyed the damage left by Hurricane Fiona, met with officials, and spoke in Ponce where he pledged future support to the U.S. territory. But he also made a strange claim about his history, claiming he was sort of raised in the Puerto Rican community. What?!
“We have a very… large Puerto Rican population in Delaware,” he said. “I was sort of raised in the Puerto Rican community at home, politically. We came here for a long time as part of both business and pleasure. I’m committed to this island.”
“You haven’t gotten the help in a timely way,” he said, referring to 2017’s Hurricane Maria. “We came here in person to show that we’re with you. All of America is with you.”
Watch the clip above.
From Fox News:
The Trump administration was harshly criticized for its response after the storm and the slow pace of aid to the island. Puerto Rico still hadn’t recovered from Maria when Fiona struck earlier this month, causing massive power outages and infrastructure damage.
The lack of electrical power on the island led to the temporary closure of businesses, including gas stations and grocery stores, as fuel supplies dwindled amid heavy generator use. As a result, many cheered the Biden administration’s decision to temporarily waive a federal law so that a British Petroleum ship could deliver 300,000 barrels of diesel.
Many also have begun demanding that Puerto Rico be fully exempted from the law, known as the Jones Act, that requires that all goods transported to Puerto Rico be aboard a ship built in the U.S., owned and crewed by U.S. citizens and flying the U.S. flag. This drives up costs for an island that already imports 85% of its food.
Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said he has requested Biden extend the disaster declaration in Puerto Rico, cover 100% of the cost to move debris, and provide other federal assistance.
“We want to be treated in the same way as our fellow Americans in the states in times of need,” Pierluisi said. “We’re confident that the president will heed our calls for equal treatment.”
More from Fox News:
Biden says he was raised around Puerto Ricans 'at home politically’ during visit to see Hurricane Fiona damage https://t.co/acgtRZR2Aw
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 3, 2022