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Rick Scott: ‘I don’t know what I would do differently’ in Puerto Rico

The governor made his sixth visit to the hurricane-ravaged island Thursday.
 
Published May 31, 2018|Updated June 1, 2018

President Donald Trump and the federal government have faced intense criticism for the U.S. response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. But in a visit to the island Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott told reporters: "I don't know what I would do differently."

The question was posed as: "What would you do different from the federal government?"

Speaking from his seven-and-a-half years of experience as governor and dealing with multiple storms in Florida, Scott said: "What I've learned the most is, you've got to communicate. You've got to tell everybody your problem and you've got to figure out how to communicate."

The government's response to the worst hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in a century could be an issue in the U.S. Senate race between Scott and Sen. Bill Nelson.

Here's Nelson's response.

Watch the video here.

Scott's visit to Puerto Rico was an official state visit that included three members of the governor's administration.

After the video appeared online, Scott's campaign criticized Nelson for urging displaced Puerto Ricans to vote and using Hurricane Maria to raise money. The campaign said: "While Gov. Scott continues to ask how Florida can be helpful for Puerto Rican families in our state and on the island, Bill Nelson's first question with every tragedy always seems to be, 'How can this help me?' … (Nelson) cares more about his re-election than the people who have been affected by this horrific storm."

Scott's campaign cited a tweet from Puerto Rico Lt. Gov. Luis Rivera Marin.