Trump slams Puerto Rico: ‘They want everything to be done for them’ – By Brandon Carter (thehill.com) / Sept 30 2017
President Trump on Saturday criticized Puerto Rico’s “poor leadership” and defended his administration’s response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s devastation on the island.
Following a plea for aid by San Juan’s mayor, Trump said the mayor was being “nasty.”
“The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump,” Trump tweeted. “Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help.”
“They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort,” he continued. “10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.”
San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who is a member of the island’s Popular Democratic Party, has been critical of the federal government’s response to the crisis in Puerto Rico.
Earlier Friday, she blasted acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke for calling the government’s response to the crisis a “good news story.”
“Maybe from where she’s standing, it’s a good news story,” Cruz said. “When you’re drinking from a creek, it’s not a good news story. When you don’t have food for a baby, it’s not a good news story.”
“Damnit, this is not a good news story,” she continued. “This is a people-are-dying story.”
Cruz also held an emotional press conference Friday ripping the Trump administration’s efforts to assist the island.
“I will do what I never thought I was going to do. I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying. If anybody out there is listening to us, we are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency,” she said.
In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper Friday night, Cruz wore a shirt emblazoned with the words “help us, we are dying.”
Trump insisted Friday that his administration is doing an “incredible job” with relief efforts.
“We have done an incredible job, considering there’s absolutely nothing to work with,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“And a very big question is, what are we going to do with the power plant? Because the power plant is totally wiped out,” he said. “There is nothing. The power grid is gone.”
He also said on Friday that Puerto Ricans are “unable to get involved” in relief efforts.
“They’re taking care of their families and largely unable to get involved, largely unable to help,” he said. “Therefore, we’re forced to bring in truck drivers, security and many, many other personnel by the thousands. And we’re bringing them onto the island as we speak. We’ve never seen a situation like this.”
PB/TK – Why are all women who are pissed considered “nasty” by POTUS Donnie? This is where some compassion needs to be learned; San Juan mayor’s pissed, she’s upset, she’s emotional just as anyone in the situation of Puerto Rico would be. POTUS needs not to take everything personal and stop making statements like “San Juan’s Mayor is being told by the DEM to be mean…” POTUS says they’re doing an incredible job yet Army Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan says more men and equipment is needed immediately within hours on the ground. OK the power station is destroyed, that goes in the Priority #1 column along with shipping ports.
