After President Trump managed to completely screw up his visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday (remember him tossing rolls of paper towels to Hurricane Maria victims?), Mike Pence thought he’d travel to Orlando on Friday and see if he could do some damage control. It did not go well.
Touring a disaster relief center at Orlando International Airport, the Vice President was confronted by a hurricane victim who comes from central Puerto Rico. The woman, identified as Everlinda Burgos told Pence:
“Don’t go to San Juan. Go inside the country, like where I live. I live in Naranjito, that’s inside the country. Right now, inside the country is where you’re going to see the disaster. Where you can’t — there’s towns you can’t go in.”
Burgos also took issue with Trump’s statements that the death toll in Puerto Rico from the hurricane was only 16 and that local officials should “be very proud” of that fact. Bugos informed Pence:
“You don’t know the people that has died there because they don’t know, they don’t have no communication. You know? So, right now they say 18 people died. No, no, no. We have more people died. But we don’t have no communication. So, go in.”
Off-camera, another woman noted that the current death toll in Puerto Rico stands at 34. Burgos then repeated the figure for Pence:
“Thirty-four today. Right now, that’s what they say outside.”
Trying desperately to extricate himself from what was no doubt planned as nothing more than a photo-op, Pence looked at Burgos and commented:
“Good to talk.”
But Ms. Burgos was far from done with Pence, telling him:
“I would like you to go to the center. Because that’s where the disaster is.”
Pence attempted to act interested and concerned, asking Burgos:
“You’ll be fine, your son, your family, and then you’ll be able to go home, right?”
With a nervous laugh, Bergos told the Veep:
“I hope so.”
As if Pence or Trump give a shit about anyone in Puerto Rico. Hell, they probably don’t even consider them to be “real” Americans.
Watch for yourself:
Featured Image Via NBC News
