Lin-Manuel Miranda urges U.S. to send more aid to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Puerto Rico needs more help from the federal government, Lin-Manuel Miranda said.
In an NBC News column, the Hamilton creator argues the number of federal personnel and monetary aid sent to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria was less than the relief sent to the areas devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.Â
“The challenges of Puerto Rico mean we need more, not less, than those other natural disasters,” Miranda said. “It’s important for the response be that much more robust because of the nature of the challenge is that much more unprecedented.”Â
Throughout the column, Miranda explains how help seemed to come from everywhere except the U.S. government. He pointed to the compassionate artists who helped him write a song for relief.
More: Lin-Manuel Miranda explains his new song for Puerto Rico, those Trump tweets
“There’s no shortage of compassion. There’s no shortage of energy,” he said. “We just need the government response to be commensurate to the energy of the American people.”Â
He detailed how his Twitter feed is filled with kids breaking their piggy banks, employers matching employee donations and teenagers spending the weekend wrapping supplies to send.
Miranda said the U.S. government needs to have the same level of compassion.
“Those (people in Puerto Rico)Â are American citizens too,” he urged. “They shouldn’t have to be American citizens for you to care, but they are your fellow countrymen and they need your help.”
Miranda has been critical of President Trump’s response in particular, saying Trump was “going straight to hell” after a presidential tweetstorm.
More: Lin-Manuel Miranda to Trump: ‘You’re going straight to hell’ over Puerto Rico tweets
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