Donald Trump Boasts Puerto Rico Should Be ‘Proud’ More Haven’t Died Like in ‘a Real Catastrophe Like Katrina’

President Donald Trump compared the death count following 2005’s devastating Hurricane Katrina to the crisis in Puerto Rico during his visit to the island on Tuesday, noting that officials should be “proud” that not as many citizens have been killed.

“Every death is horrible, but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous — hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, and you look at what happened here with really a storm that was just totally overpowering, nobody’s ever seen anything like this,” said Trump, before asking officials at a meeting with local and federal leadership how many have died since Hurricane Maria made landfall on Sept. 20, leaving millions without homes and electricity.

Trump was seemingly pleased to hear the natural disaster has claimed only 16 lives “versus in the thousands” lost during Katrina, praising the leaders, “you can be proud.”

“You can be very proud of all of your people, all of our people working together, ” he said.

"You have thrown our budget a little out of whack, because we've spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico and that's fine," Pres. Trump says http://pic.twitter.com/9V4caKaG80

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 3, 2017

In the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane — which made landfall in the U.S. three times — a reported 1,833 people died, according to the Washington Post.

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The remarks drew criticism of the president, who has already received significant backlash for his response to the crisis.

A real catastrophe like…the Trump presidency.

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) October 3, 2017

Again, not a single situation where #Trump makes things better instead of worse http://bit.ly/2wwaPPD

— Clint Watts (@selectedwisdom) October 3, 2017

Trump finally quits golfing long enough to go to PR only to congratulate himself & tell them they shld be "very proud" of their death count.

— Jill E Bond (@JillEBond) October 3, 2017

Trump talking about the death count in Puerto Rico is sickening

— President ManBaby (@ManBabyAmerica) October 3, 2017

I feel disgusted watching trump in Puerto Rico. He’s talking budget again. And comparing Maria 2 Katrina. He is disgusting. #trumppuertorico

— Lucy Lubin (@Soylattelucy) October 3, 2017

REAL FACTS: every disaster, no matter size or death count is a tragedy
TRUMP FACTS: atleast it wasn’t as bad as katrina!! be proud lol

— ‏Jadyn (@venusplatt) October 3, 2017

It has been 0 (zero) days since Trump embarrassed America.

— Touré (@Toure) October 3, 2017

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Also during the Tuesday meeting, Trump commented, “I hate to tell you Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack, because we’ve spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico, and that’s fine. We’ve saved a lot of lives.”