Faced with mounting criticism over his administration’s response to recovery efforts on hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico — including an angry statement from the mayor of San Juan — President Trump lashed out early Saturday on Twitter.
“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,” the president wrote at 4:19 am.
“…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. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job,” he continued in a series of tweets.
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz slammed the Trump administration Friday after Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke called the much-maligned recovery effort “a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane.”
“This is a ‘people are dying’ story,” Yulin Cruz said angrily on Friday.
The Puerto Rican death toll from Hurricane Maria stands at 16, but the number is expected to rise as the island of 3.5 million remains without power and supplies such as clean water. The Administration has been criticized for dragging its feet in getting help to the US Territory.
Trump continued his tweetstorm by praising first responders before he hit at a favorite punching bag: the media.
“The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed,” he wrote at 4:33 am. “Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to ‘get Trump.’ Not fair to FR or effort!”
“The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R’s. Shame!” he continued.
The President added, “I will be going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday with Melania. Will hopefully be able to stop at the U.S. Virgin Islands (people working hard).”
Hours later, he walked back the slams — partway.
“Despite the Fake News Media in conjunction with the Dems, an amazing job is being done in Puerto Rico,” he tweeted, in the first of a string of posts that heaped praise on local leaders who have been kinder than Cruz in their comments about his performance. “Great people!”
Trump proceeded to boost Rossello, Mapp, and Congresswoman Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon – a fellow Republican.
“Results of recovery efforts will speak much louder than complaints by San Juan Mayor,” he posted at the end of his nine-tweet blast. “Doing everything we can to help great people of PR!”