Attacks on mayor ratchet up tensions over Puerto Rico
US President Donald Trump, spending the weekend at his Bedminister golf resort in New Jersey, attacked the Mayor of San Juan for “poor leadership” and accused her of conspiring with Democrats to criticise his Administration’s response to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico.
Trump blasted Mayor Carmen Yulı´n Cruz in a series of tweets that aimed to deflect blame for the deepening humanitarian crisis on the island and to cast the mounting criticism against him as partisan attacks — from local officials, political rivals and the media.
“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 wrote on Twitter. He added that Cruz and other local officials “want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort”.
The outburst came as Trump has bristled over accusations from local officials that the federal Government has not moved quickly enough to provide support and aid amid widespread power outages that have left residents without air conditioning, while food, drinking water and other basic necessities are in short supply in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. At least 16 people have died since the storm struck last week, with many others in critical condition.
On Saturday, Cruz pleaded for additional help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying at a news conference: “I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying . . . We are dying
and you are killing us with the inefficiency.”
Trump cast Cruz’s criticism as “unfair” to the thousands of federal workers who his Administration says are now in place on the island, and he praised the efforts of the military and other first-responders.
In a bid to isolate Cruz politically, Trump spoke by phone in the afternoon with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello´ and US Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp and later praised both of them on Twitter.
And Trump reaffirmed that he and first lady Melania Trump intend to travel to Puerto Rico, with a possible stop in the US Virgin Islands, which also is recovering from hurricane damage. “To the people of Puerto Rico: Do not believe the #FakeNews!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
On MSNBC, Cruz emphasised that she was not trying to be “nasty” and said she remains open to speaking to or meeting Trump. “I’m fighting to save lives. That’s it. This isn’t personal.”
She also made it clear she didn’t plan to stay quiet. “I will always speak my mind,” Cruz told reporters. “I don’t give a damn.”
The President’s tone provoked a major backlash among Democrats, community leaders and major celebrities who lambasted him for casting blame and appearing insensitive to the suffering of US citizens. Trump is expected to stop by the Presidents Cup in Jersey City today before returning to the White House.
“When a hurricane hits, there are no Democrats or Republicans — only Americans, families struggling to survive,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted. “Shameful @POTUS can’t see that.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical Hamilton, wrote on Twitter that Trump is going “straight to hell,” while pop star Lady Gaga tweeted that “it’s clear where the ‘ poor leadership’ lies @realDonaldTrump Puerto Rico is part of the United States. This is our responsibility.”