WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump’s comments rejecting the death toll from Hurricane Maria loom large on the one-year anniversary of the Category 4 storm that devastated the island.

  • Experts question implication of Trump's tweets of GOP candidates
  • Trump has rejected the Hurricane Maria death toll
  • Many Florida Republicans have rebuked his statements 

With the midterm elections just weeks away, could the president’s tweets undermine his own party’s ongoing efforts to court Florida's growing Puerto Rican population?

The swift rebuke from Florida Republicans illustrated the significance of this critical voting bloc in a state, where races are often decided by slim margins.

“It’s politically harmful," said Brian Walsh, a Republican Strategist with Rokk Solutions in Washington DC. "It’s completely unhelpful. I think this is another case of the president tweeting first and considering the facts and political consequences later.”

In the wake of Hurricane Maria one year ago, thousands of Puerto Ricans fled to one of the most contested political battlegrounds in the country — the I-4 Corridor.

Walsh said candidates who have spent months courting this key electorate had no choice but to distance themselves from the president.

“He put Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott, and members of the Florida congressional delegation in a very awkward position," Walsh explained.

Florida Republicans, led by Gov. Rick Scott have made a concerted effort in recent years to court this group of voters who traditionally favor Democrats. The governor continues to visit the island, making his eighth trip Thursday since the hurricane.​

The president continues to have a major influence on races in Florida and across the country, but experts say his comments may hurt some Republican candidates more than others.

 “The good news for Gov. Scott, I think it’s a little easier for him to separate himself from the president’s tweets versus say, Ron DeSantis, who really pegged his primary campaign on running side-by-side with President Trump," Walsh said.

The big question is will the president’s statements be enough to move the needle with Puerto Rican voters?​

“There’s roughly 150,000 voters from Puerto Rico now living in Florida who are eligible to vote in that state. But, I do think it’s an open question politically for both parties (is) will they come to the polls in November," Walsh questioned.

While Hispanic voter registration has increased by more than 100,000 voters since 2016, it’s not clear how many of those voters are Hurricane Maria evacuees.