Virgin Islands delegate: Trump doesn’t need to visit after hurricane because Pence did

The delegate for the Virgin Islands said she doesn’t think President Trump needs to visit the territory following recent hurricanes because Vice President Pence already toured the islands.

U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D) told BuzzFeed News that she was happy with Pence’s trip to the territory on Friday and no longer thought it was necessary for Trump to visit.

{mosads}Plaskett had said last week that she was alarmed that Trump wouldn’t be visiting after Hurricane Maria devastated the region, but that she was impressed by Pence’s trip.

“I think you can tell when someone is putting on a show, but I believe the conversations [the Pences] had with people, young people, the workers, the volunteers were genuine,” Plaskett told BuzzFeed News.

“I think that is something that comes across from them,” she said. “I think because he’s been a governor he understands the human element of supporting people and understanding the day-to-day lives of people who have elected you. And I think that moves him and motivates him and that was clearly evident.”

Plaskett added that while it would have been “very gratifying” for Trump to have visited, it wasn’t necessary for the island “to move on in terms of our rebuilding.”

Pence visited the Virgin Islands on Friday with second lady Karen Pence, where he visited a shelter and a church damaged by the storm and took a helicopter tour of the damage, BuzzFeed News reported.

Trump visited Puerto Rico on Tuesday. He tweeted that he “will hopefully be able to stop at the U.S. Virgin Islands” but did not.