Gov. Phil Murphy criticized President Donald Trump Thursday on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria slamming Puerto Rico, saying the president "continues to turn his back on millions of Americans."
The governor, in a series of tweets, also rebuked Trump's dismissal of the mounting evidence that now reveals the death toll for Maria far surpasses initial estimates.
"One year after Hurricane Maria, @realDonaldTrump continues to turn his back on millions of Americans in Puerto Rico and denies the 3,000 lives lost," Murphy tweeted.
"We must continue to open our arms to Puerto Rico, continue to be a second home to those who fled Maria, and continue to offer assistance as the island and its people slowly rebuild their homes and lives," he said.
Other elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, also took aim at Trump
Menendez, D-N.J., who's running for re-election, held a news conference on the anniversary of the storm to blast the Trump administration.
"It's taking too long to ... return the island to its stature," Menendez said.
State Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, D-Union, said it "saddens" her "to think of the devastation and destruction" the storm brought on the island.
"The lack of sympathy and support from the White House for the situation and people since September has only added insult to injury," Quijano said in a statement.
Last September, Trump told Puerto Ricans they should be grateful Hurricane Maria had not caused a "real catastrophe like Katrina."
New research puts the number of deaths close to 3,000, adjusted up from just a few dozen when the president made his now infamous remark. This is an estimate, but it is virtually certain that the number is in the thousands.
The majority of fatalities were not caused by the hurricane's force, but by the failure of the U.S. disaster response system. Many people died in the days and months after Maria because they lacked access to basic lifesaving goods and services.
Trump has denied these numbers, but without offering any evidence to support his claims.
Back in New Jersey, meanwhile, lawmakers who joined then-governor-elect Murphy on his trip to the storm ravaged island in December say they hope the governor will do more to help Puerto Rico.
Specifically, they want Murphy to get behind legislation he conditionally vetoed in July that they say would help keep Puerto Ricans from having their homes foreclosed on.
"I want to circle back to try and figure out if we can move this forward, so I'm going to make the attempt to work with the office again," state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, said.
She referred legislation Murphy vetoed that would have prohibited pension investments in entities engaged in mortgage foreclosures of homes in Puerto Rico damaged by Hurricane Maria.
Murphy argued the State Investment Council should decide whether to divest for a particular cause -- not the Legislature.
"I'm still disappointed in the conditional veto," Ruiz said.
Hurricane Maria slammed the island with 155-mph winds and coastal flooding that rose to 6 feet within 30 minutes of landfall. The storm caused the longest power blackout in U.S. history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.