
Photo Of Trump Tossing Paper Towels Into Crowd In Puerto Rico Goes Viral
By Mustafa GatollariUpdated
Donald Trump's been receiving a lot of criticism for his initial lack of a response to victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
And then when he did finally address the disaster in Puerto Rico, he joked that the territory was costing the U.S. a lot of money and throwing its budget out of whack.
Trump: “I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack” https://t.co/sYZ09oUwUG https://t.co/CqdM8KQdi9
— CNN (@CNN) October 3, 2017
In fact, he thought that the appropriate response when he finally did get around to talking about Puerto Rico, was to bash the mayor of San Juan and start putting blame on Democrats. You know, while people were without food, water, and electricity.
@joshtpm posted them in a screen shot. Saved for eternity. pic.twitter.com/Y4ZRCEG5f7
— Travis McGee (@procrastin) September 30, 2017
Turns out that his eventual visit to Puerto Rico went over just about as well as his tweets did. The President was photographed shooting paper towels into the crowd like they were basketballs.
From @Carrasquillo: “In his best Stephen Curry impersonation, Trump ... softly shot paper towels into the crowd, which they enjoyed”
— Tom Namako (@TomNamako) October 3, 2017
📸: AP pic.twitter.com/BdSNtzsMkh
He didn't just throw amenities at Puerto Rican citizens, however. He did check out some of the damage first hand.
.@potus tours hurricane damage in San Juan suburbs pic.twitter.com/1278tf5R72
— Justin Sink (@justinsink) October 3, 2017
Pres Trump visited supply distribution center at Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo, P.R. Handed out paper towels, flashlight batteries and rice. pic.twitter.com/0VqvirsvmQ
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) October 3, 2017
But people seemed fixated on his paper towel jump shot.
someone find me video of trump shooting paper towels into the crowd
— Kyle Feldscher (@Kyle_Feldscher) October 3, 2017
.@realDonaldTrump entrega suministros durante su visita a la isla. #TrumpPuertoRico #huracánMaría pic.twitter.com/aAsND3HRd6
— El Nuevo Día (@ElNuevoDia) October 3, 2017
President Trump throws rolls of paper towels to residents gathered in a chapel in Puerto Rico. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) pic.twitter.com/xZ9AdtXH8G
— Colin Campbell (@colincampbell) October 3, 2017
Trump: great crowd today, fantastic. now raise those hands if you want paper towels!
— Caleb Ecarma (@calebecarma) October 3, 2017
Staffer: uh we should probably hand them out sir
Trump: pic.twitter.com/2pmt9vOIsi
There were some pretty iconic photos taken.
This photo is art (by Reuters' Jonathan Ernst) pic.twitter.com/QEqEGfBBME
— Alan Yuhas (@AlanYuhas) October 3, 2017
Trump presiding w/ tinned chicken, a flashlight experiment, paper towel 3-pointer, a beatific, suspenseful toss
— Alan Yuhas (@AlanYuhas) October 3, 2017
(Reuters/Ernst & AP/Vucci) pic.twitter.com/mteW3xNHzm
But some weren't all that impressed with Trump's response to Puerto Rico. Even if he did throw supplies into a crowd of people.
Trump in Puerto Rico
— Tom Namako (@TomNamako) October 3, 2017
—Diminished storm’s impact
—Taunted island’s bankruptcy
—Ignored San Juan mayor
—Basketball shot paper towels to crowd
When Hurricane Maria stuck Puerto Rico in September, billions of dollars worth of damage was done, and much of the island was left without power.
Months later, it's been revealed that the death toll is far higher than the official toll of 64, with at least 499 people killed in Puerto Rico according to funeral home directors and staff, who say that months without power and other essentials have led to indirect hundreds of indirect deaths.
The New York Times and a group of academics believe the number could be even higher — closer to 1,000 — a figure they calculated by comparing mortality rates to previous years.
Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rosselló, has since announced plans to reassess the official death toll.
With infrastructure still damaged on much of the island, Puerto Ricans are moving to the mainland in mass.