‘I expect whoever holds it to respect the people I represent.… Talking about ingrates, to me that is an insult, it is indignity and perhaps…
Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, said she was invited to participate in a White House conference call Monday to discuss the federal response to Hurricane Maria, but her line was muted and she was unable to contribute to the discussion.
“I was invited to participate in a conference via a text,” Cruz told the Independent . “I did. When I went into the call it said you are allowed in a listening capacity only… so I listened.”
The call, which occurred Monday, was led by Tom Bossert, President Trump’s homeland security adviser, and focused on how the federal government can improve its response to Hurricane Maria.
The San Juan mayor has gone head-to-head with Trump over the government’s response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico and left the entire island without power.
More than half of Puerto Rico’s residents don’t have access to drinking water, and food and fuel have been scarce.
Appearing on television to discuss the government’s disaster response, Cruz lamented the slow speed with which the Trump administration deployed aid to Puerto Rico, and criticized acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke for claiming the federal response is a “good news story.”
Cruz’s comments led to a stinging rebuke from Trump, who took to Twitter on Saturday to accuse Cruz of displaying “poor leadership.” The president also denounced “politically motivated ingrates” criticizing the government’s response in Puerto Rico, and praised the government’s relief efforts despite.
