President Trump and Carmen Yulín Cruz probably won’t be hitting the links together anytime soon. Or if they do, don’t expect any “gimme” putts.
The San Juan, Puerto Rico mayor dropped all diplomacy on Friday, blasting the Trump administration response to the unfolding crisis on the island in the wake of Hurricane Maria and pleading for help.”This is a ‘people are dying’ story. This is a ‘life or death’ story,” Cruz told CNN. “Help us, we are dying,”
And in a separate press conference, she accused the federal government of “killing us with the inefficiency and the bureaucracy.”
“This is what we got last night: four pallets of water, three pallets of meals and 12 pallets of infant food — which I gave them to the people of Comerio, where people are drinking off a creek,” she continued. “So I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell.”
Guess how well the leader of our democracy took that criticism?
OK, so you actually got that one — but readers will never be able to imagine where Trump vented such an opinion. Oh, right. Of course you can. See his Saturday morning tweet-storm below.
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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
…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….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
…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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
After a little break, Trump went back to the “fake news”media-bashing well — because that’s always there, obviously. The POTUS also said he and First Lady Melania Trump will be going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Here are those tweets, which should catch you up for now:
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
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).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
For her part, Cruz responded to Trump’s tirade on MSNBC’s AM Joy, saying she doesn’t have time for “distractions”:
MAYOR OF SAN JUAN @CARMENYULINCRUZ
Responds to #Trump tweets:
I have no time for distractions… #AMJoy
https://t.co/0iiQl6HHUl— MSNBC LIVE (@msnbcevents) September 30, 2017