President Donald Trump called himself the “best thing that ever happened to Puerto Rico” on Friday as he announced his administration is awarding $13 billion to the territory.
During a press conference, Trump called the financial aid package the “largest emergency relief award in history." It will go toward rebuilding the island’s electrical grid that was wiped out by Hurricane Maria three years ago.
Trump acknowledged that the financial relief “should’ve been done many years ago.”
He blamed the Democrats for failing to render aid to the island and claimed that Joe Biden “devastated the island” years before it was hit by Hurricane Maria.
He said Biden’s 1996 vote to eliminate a tax provision that had allowed Puerto Rico to become a leader in global pharmaceutical manufacturing took away tons of jobs.
Trump said he will help bring pharmaceutical manufacturing back to Puerto Rico at “a level far greater than it was before.”
He praised his administration for doing far “more for Puerto Rico than anybody” else.
He touted his administration’s decision to provide “mass quantities of relief supplies” for any future disasters. He said the island now has eight times as much drinking water and 13 times as much food as it had before he took office.
“They are ready to go if something should happen and they are in a good position,” Trump said of his storm preparedness plan for the territory.