New York Times columnist Paul Krugman slammed President Donald Trump in a tweet Saturday after reports surfaced of cholera in Puerto Rico — except there was just one huge problem with Krugman's criticism.
Krugman tweeted: "Cholera. In a US territory. Among US citizens. In the 21st century. Heckuva job, Trumpie."
Cholera is a bacterial disease that causes diarrhea, severe dehydration and can even lead to death. The disease hasn't been a problem in the U.S. for more than a century, but is currently a major problem in third-world countries and impoverished communities.
It's not clear where Krugman got his information, or who confirmed there is cholera in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria, but it certainly wasn't the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the government agency that works to control and prevent infectious diseases.
CDC does not anticipate cholera cases in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands b/c of #Maria. #MariaPR https://t.co/dzSnsaj50u
— CDC (@CDCgov) September 30, 2017
There was no evidence of cholera in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands before Hurricane #Maria made landfall. #MariaPR
— CDC (@CDCgov) September 30, 2017
Krugman tweeted the claim as an obvious potshot at Trump, who liberals and many others have accused of not responding to the disaster in Puerto Rico in an adequate fashion. Slamming Trump over the island's crisis is so popular right now, in fact, that Krugman's original tweet garnered tens of thousands of retweets and "likes."
He later issued a correction, although it received significantly less attention:
OK, cholera not confirmed. Conjunctivitis yes; lack of clean water (situation worsening, not improving) makes it a risk. But not certain
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 30, 2017
Another notable liberal, Kurt Eichenwald, also made the cholera claim. His tweet also garnered tens of thousands of retweets and "likes," despite the information being untrue.
