Trump administration defends response to Hurricane Maria after new study finds thousands died

John Fritze | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump defends Puerto Rico response as 'fantastic' President Donald Trump says the federal government did a "fantastic job in Puerto Rico" despite the deaths of nearly 3,000 people after Hurricane Maria. Trump says most Puerto Ricans "really appreciate what we've done." (Aug. 29)

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump supports “full accountability” in assessing the death toll in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, a top aide said Tuesday, but the White House did not directly address a new estimate that pegs that number in the thousands.

Responding to a George Washington University study that found nearly 3,000 people died in last year’s storm, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the Trump administration supports “ensure a full accountability and transparency of fatalities.”

“The American people, including those grieving the loss of a loved one, deserve no less,” Sanders said in a statement.

From September 2017 to February 2018, 2,975 people died, according to the study by George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health, which was commissioned by the Puerto Rican government. That is a stunning increase over the 64 deaths counted by Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello’s administration.

Sanders did not comment directly on whether the White House agrees with the study’s findings. Trump's administration faced criticism at the time for its response to the storm.

...The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

A senior White House official described the study as taking a more expansive view of how mortality is counted following a disaster and said the Trump administration had already adopted recommendations made in an after action report from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“The devastating back-to-back hurricanes were met with the largest domestic disaster response mission in history,” Sanders said in the statement. “We are focused on Puerto Rico’s recovery and preparedness for the current Hurricane season.”

More: Nearly 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria

Related: Puerto Rico acknowledges much higher death toll from Hurricane Maria