June 14, 2017

Dumb Trump trick of the day

USA Today - President Trump phoned Tangier Island Mayor James "Ooker" Eskridge Monday after viewing a CNN report about the Virginia island's struggle with rising sea levels.

"He said not to worry about sea-level rise," Eskridge said. "He said, 'Your island has been there for hundreds of years, and I believe your island will be there for hundreds more.'"

During the CNN interview, Eskridge had said he loved Trump as much as he would a family member. When staffers brought the CNN report to Trump's attention, "he said, 'I've just got to talk to that guy,'" the mayor said.

The island in the Chesapeake Bay is a Republican stronghold — about 87% of residents voted for Trump in the November 2016 election.

Still, erosion is one of the islanders' main concerns. The island, population about 450, is losing up to 16 feet of coastline a year, scientists say.

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