Donald Trump Attacks Puerto Ricans Who 'Want Everything Done For Them' Amid Hurricane Maria Devastation

The president has decided that now is the time to attack hurricane victims on Twitter.
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Donald Trump has attacked Puerto Ricans who “want everything done for them”, as the US Government intervenes to help the American territority’s people after Hurricane Maria.

The Category Five hurricane knocked out power, cut off running water and killed at least 16 people so far on the island, home to 3.4 million Americans, when it struck a week ago. It also damaged a dam that created the risk of flash flooding.

September 29: The Puerto Rican National Guard deliver food and water via helicopter to hurricane survivors as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
September 29: The Puerto Rican National Guard deliver food and water via helicopter to hurricane survivors as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
A US Marine a local resident work together to clear a tree from the main road as part of relief efforts
A US Marine a local resident work together to clear a tree from the main road as part of relief efforts
Handout . / Reuters
A local is pictured in her damaged house in Yabucoa, in the eastern part of the island, on Thursday
A local is pictured in her damaged house in Yabucoa, in the eastern part of the island, on Thursday
HECTOR RETAMAL via Getty Images

Its officials have accused Washington of not moving fast enough to help them, as the island tries to recover from the damage, including the loss of most of the electrical, gas and water grid.

Carmen Yulin Cruz, mayor of Puerto Rico’s largest city San Juan, condemned the slow response, tearfully telling journalists on Friday that, if it did not speed up, “what we we are going to see is something close to a genocide”.

Trump went on Twitter on Saturday and, in an increasingly familiar theme, first emphasised how means his critics are, saying Cruz was “very complimentary only a few days ago” but “has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump.”

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

He accused Cruz and unnamed others of “such poor leadership” saying they could not “get their workers to help” and “want everything to be done for them”.

...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

He praised the “fantastic job” of the US Government workers.

...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

“Puerto Rico was totally destroyed,” Trump said of the island whose leaders he had just attacked.

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

Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump will visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday and possibly the US Virgin Islands, which were hit by Hurricane Irma.

Trump later returned to his favourite subject - berating the “fake news” media and how it was covering Puerto Rico.

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

The response to Trump’s attack on Cruz and others was withering, with one person asking: “Why attack the mayor of a city devastated by a hurricane?”

Most of all, why attack the mayor of a city devastated by a hurricane? At long last, have you left no sense of decency, Mr. President?

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 30, 2017

He was branded a “disgrace to disgraces” and “cruel and inhuman”.

Seriously. You think they aren’t having a shit enough time that you want to turn your base on them? You’re a disgrace to disgraces.

— Emma Kennedy (@EmmaKennedy) September 30, 2017

Doesn't matter if you're desperate & dying -- if Trump feels criticized, he will lash out. His tweets re: Puerto Rico are cruel & inhuman.

— Tony Schwartz (@tonyschwartz) September 30, 2017

Trump previously made headlines when he described the logistical difficulties of helping Puerto Rico by saying it was “an island, surrounded by water, big water, ocean water”.

He has also claimed that the island’s governor Ricardo Rossello has praised the Trump administration’s response.

But Rossello later told MSNBC: “The response still is not where it needs to be, certainly it’s not.”

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