Trump: ‘Big decision will have to be made’ about rebuilding Puerto Rico

President Trump on Friday touted his administration’s response to the damage left by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, but he cautioned that a “big decision” would have to be made about the cost of rebuilding the island.

“Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: ‘The Administration and the President, every time we’ve spoken, they’ve delivered,” Trump wrote on Twitter. 

“The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!” he added in a second tweet.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: “The Administration and the President, every time we’ve spoken, they’ve delivered……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

…The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

It appears Trump was responding to a tweet from Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló earlier Friday morning.

The Trump administration faced scrutiny this week for what critics called an inadequate response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, where necessities, like food and potable water, are running scarce and most people remain without power.

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The administration moved to ramp up its efforts on the island on Thursday, waiving shipping restrictions that Rosselló said were hindering the delivery of aid to the U.S. territory.

In an interview on CNN’s “New Day” Friday morning, Rosselló described the government response in Puerto Rico as “all hands on deck,” but said that there was room for improvement.

“Certainly, Chris, there is a lot of work to do over here. We really need to increase the delivery rates. We really need to enhance our logistics,” he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo. “But also, from that side, i have to say that the administration has responded to our petitions.”