The Latest on President Donald Trump and Puerto Rico (all times local):
BRANCHBURG, N. J. (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump and Puerto Rico (all times local):
10:40 a.m.
The mayor of San Juan is answering a Twitter attack by President Donald Trump by calling for a united focus on helping people in Puerto Rico after the U. S. territory was devastated by Hurricane Maria.
Carmen Yulin Cruz posted twin tweets in Spanish and English saying: « The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our ‘true colors’. We cannot be distracted by anything else. »
The Saturday morning tweets included photos of the mayor meeting with hurricane victims and rescue workers, wading hip-deep through a flooded street and comforting an elderly woman.
She did not mention the president directly, but the missives were posted about an hour after Trump accused her and others in Puerto Rico of « poor leadership, » failing « to get their workers to help » and wanting « everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. »
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7:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump is lashing out at the mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital city in a war of words over recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria smashed into the U. S. territory.
Trump is out with a series of tweets criticizing San Juan Carmen Yulin Cruz for criticizing the Trump administration’s hurricane response. The major has accused his administration of « killing us with the inefficiency. »
The president is responding by citing what he calls « 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. »
Trump says « 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 says the hurricane « totally destroyed » Puerto Rico and that « the military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. »
Trump also says the mayor was « very complimentary only a few days ago, » but « has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump. »
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12:10 a.m.
The mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital city is accusing the Trump administration of inefficiency as the federal government continues to render aid to an island devastated by Hurricane Maria.
President Donald Trump says Washington is – in his words – « fully engaged in the disaster and the response and recovery effort. » He’s trying to make the case that his administration has been doing an « incredible job. »
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz rejects that view and she’s pressing Trump to « make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives. »
Thousands more Puerto Ricans have been getting water and rationed food as an aid bottleneck began to ease. But many remain desperate for water and other necessities.
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