The president said Wednesday he wants US troops in the Gulf to help “save lives,” but also called for a swift deployment of American military assets to help protect American shores.
Trump made the comments during a visit to the Gulf Coast, which has been rocked by the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in the first of a series of calls with leaders on Tuesday.
“I think we need a lot of support, I think we have to have more help,” Trump said.
“We’ve been very much behind the scenes, we’ve been supporting them very heavily, but it’s not enough.
We have to get a lot more help.”
Trump has been a harsh critic of the Trump administration and President Donald Trump, and he has criticized the president for not doing enough to help Gulf states recover from the storm.
“The Gulf states are going to be devastated by Irma,” he said.
The Trump administration said in a statement Wednesday that it was reviewing the call and will “ensure that all relevant steps are taken to ensure the Gulf nations receive adequate assistance.”