Trump claims Hurricane Maria death toll rose 'like magic'
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Tropical Storm Florence inundated the Carolinas on Friday, President Donald Trump circled back to his claim that the official death toll from a devastating storm a year earlier in Puerto Rico was inflated and said the number of dead seemed to rise from double digits to 3,000 "like magic."
Public health experts have estimated that nearly 3,000 perished because of the effects of Hurricane Maria. But Trump, whose efforts to help the island territory recover have been persistently criticized, has repeatedly questioned that number over the last couple of days.
"FIFTY TIMES LAST ORIGINAL NUMBER - NO WAY!" he tweeted late Friday.