There's a right-wing conspiracy that union truckers are refusing to deliver crucial supplies in Puerto Rico - here's the truth
Right-wing blogs The Conservative Treehouse and The Gateway Pundit recently published stories alleging that local unions were striking following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, preventing the delivery of food, water, and other crucial supplies.
The crux of the issue seems to be a quote from a Huffington Post interview with US Air Force Colonel Michael Valle, reports Snopes.
Valle said: "Supplies we have. Trucks we have. There are ships full of supplies backed up in the ports, waiting to have a vehicle to unload into. However, only 20% of the truck drivers show up to work."
The main reason for the shortages is that local truck drivers have been displaced and are difficult to contact, due to fallen power lines. Puerto Rico is also dealing with blocked roads and diesel fuel shortages.
On Monday, the Teamsters Union clarified that union workers have been contributing to delivery efforts "since day one" and that unions are sending more truckers from across the US to help out. Additionally, a Puerto Rican government representative told CBS that claims were false, and that drivers are increasingly able to drive to ports to pick up necessary supplies.
In other words, there are many factors that caused a shortage of drivers - but there's no evidence that a union strike is to blame.
However, the conspiracy has continued to grow online.
President Trump seemed to allude to the conspiracy himself on Tuesday morning during his visit to Puerto Rico.
"But now the roads are cleared, communications is starting to come back," Trump said according to a pool report. "We need their truck drivers to start driving trucks."