For a second day in a row, The View host Sunny Hostin went on a tirade against President Trump for his comments touting the government aid given to Hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico last September. After media backlash, Trump doubled down and claimed the media had exaggerated the death toll. On Thursday's show, Hostin was irate at the President’s comments, saying this made him an “illegitimate president” and blamed a century old U.S. maritime law for the island being in financial ruin.
After Hostin criticized Trump, co-host Abby Huntsman, who perhaps heard criticism for her weak performance on Wednesday’s show, tried to argue that Puerto Rico was also at fault for being unprepared for the hurricane:
“I don’t think President Trump was solely to blame for what happened. Puerto Rico had a number of their own problems before Maria even hit. They were filing for bankruptcy. They had a power grid that was in chaos,” she began. An irate Hostin jumped in to blame Puerto Rico’s financial problems on an act that was passed nearly a century ago:
“That’s because under the Jones Act, Puerto Rico has lost $537 million a year. The United States government has pillaged and raped Puerto Rico since the very beginning of time!” she raved.
Hostin explained the Jones Act and said the U.S. was at fault for making such a law that made Puerto Rico “bankrupt.”
“I'm from Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico was not screwed up!” she said defensively, adding that Trump should’ve followed President Obama’s example when he gave aid to Haiti.
“The president doesn't care about Puerto Rico,” Hostin added. Huntsman pushed back again, saying that her co-host wasn’t being “fair” to say that or compare Trump to a dictator.
“I think it’s too generous!” Hostin remarked.She stood by her comments, saying that Trump was more concerned about NFL protests than he was about “letting his own citizens die” and then claiming they didn’t really die.
Huntsman tried to push back again, pointing out that local officials did not follow through in assisting people on the island with the resources made available. But Hostin laid the blame entirely on the Trump Administration. She claimed that the infamous picture released this week showing millions of unopened water bottles on a landstrip on the island, provided by FEMA but never distributed to the people, was the fault of FEMA, whom she asserted didn’t alert local authorities to their existence.
“Puerto Rican authorities, local authorities weren't even notified of its existence until April 2018. That landstrip that we're taking a look at is on federal land. This falls squarely on the shoulders of FEMA, and the lackluster and really grotesque response of FEMA,” she gushed.
Despite this performance, to Hostin’s credit, she did ask great questions in a subsequent interview with new Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen. The co-host pressed the doctor repeatedly on her organization being the largest abortion provider in the country, and the lack of transparency for the services they actually provide women.
