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Home / World

Puerto Rico man's revenge on infamous Donald Trump moment

By Charis Chang and Samuel Clench
news.com.au·
8 Nov, 2020 04:35 AM2 mins to read

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President Donald Trump tosses paper towels into a crowd at Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the region. Photo / AP

President Donald Trump tosses paper towels into a crowd at Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the region. Photo / AP

One man has celebrated Donald Trump's defeat by mimicking one of the US President's most infamous rally moments.

There have been wild scenes as people celebrate Democrat Joe Biden's win against Trump even though the President has not conceded defeat.

In particular, one man's act has drawn attention to Trump's "disrespectful" response to the 2017 Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico and wreaked havoc on the American territory.

The man was reportedly on the island with no power or running water after the hurricane when Trump threw paper towels into a crowd during his visit.

President Donald Trump tosses paper towels into a crowd at Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the region. Photo / AP
President Donald Trump tosses paper towels into a crowd at Calvary Chapel in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the region. Photo / AP
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While Trump's supporters at the time defended his act as being a light-hearted moment for the enjoyment of the crowd, others were disgusted and thought it showed the President's lack of empathy.

In the aftermath of Trump's loss, the Puerto Rico man decided to re-enact the moment and was filmed throwing paper towel over the fence towards the White House.

"It's going to mean a lot to my parents," the man said, asking someone to take a video of him.

After the hurricane Trump feuded with local officials who asked for more help, and suggested the death toll was being inflated to make him look bad.

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In a brief trip to the island, Trump famously threw a few rolls of paper towels into a crowd of Puerto Ricans.

Among his critics, that scene was a symbol of Trump's insufficient response to the crisis.

A man wearing a Puerto Rican flag tosses paper towel over the fence toward the White House. “Never forget,” he said. pic.twitter.com/tZkalqgB2D

— Samantha Schmidt (@schmidtsam7) November 7, 2020

"That was disrespectful," Ramon Pachaco, 58, told The Washington Post.

Pachaco's house was damaged in the storm and he believes Trump's message was akin to: "If you want to cry, dry your tears with this."

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It also distracted from the administration's response, which included $2 billion in grants for more than 462,000 homeowners and renters, and $2.6 billion in low-interest disaster loans.

A man throws paper towel over a fence towards the White House. Photo / Twitter
A man throws paper towel over a fence towards the White House. Photo / Twitter
He said his act would mean a lot to his parents. Photo / Twitter
He said his act would mean a lot to his parents. Photo / Twitter

Following Hurricane Maria, the death toll was estimated at about 2975, which is the number of people the government found had died in the next six months than would have been expected under typical mortality rates.

The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico is part of the US but its residents do not have a vote in the Congress, and cannot vote for president or vice president.

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