Trump says Puerto Rico authorities showing poor leadership after hurricane

Washington, Oct 1

President Donald Trump on Saturday responded to harsh criticism of his administration by San Juan's mayor, saying that she and other Puerto Rican authorities had shown poor leadership in the wake of devastating Hurricane Maria.

Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz and others on the US commonwealth were failing to act decisively amid the lack of electric power and serious problems with accessing fuel and water, Efe news reported.

"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 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." Trump, who is scheduled to visit the Caribbean island on Tuesday, wrote.

Trump made his remarks after Cruz on Friday night harshly criticized acting US Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, who on Thursday hailed the efforts of federal authorities to resolve the humanitarian crisis as "really a good-news story."

"It is not a good-news story when people are dying, when they don't have dialysis, when their generators aren't working and their oxygen isn't providing for them. Where is there good news here?" Cruz said.

Trump also has come under fire in recent days from some US lawmakers, who accuse him of not giving sufficient importance to the situation and responding too slowly to the crisis in Puerto Rico, where the electrical infrastructure was totally destroyed and people are having to wait in extremely long lines for food, fuel, water and cash.

Only around 4 percent of people have electricity and only 9 percent of telecommunications towers are functioning 10 days after the powerful Category 4 hurricane barreled through the island on Sept. 20

On Thursday, Trump waived the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (also known as the Jones Act), a federal statute that requires all goods transported by ship between US ports be carried on US-flagged vessels built in the US, owned by US citizens and crewed by US citizens or US permanent residents.

The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that the waiver of the law would be in effect for 10 days and allow foreign-flagged ships to supply Puerto Rico with fuel and other products.

Washington, Sep 30
US President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at Puerto Rico politicians over their criticism of US relief efforts on the island following Hurricane Maria.

The Category 4 hurricane a week ago killed 16 people on the island and left millions in desperate need of food, water and other supplies.

In a series of tweets, Trump said that Puerto Rican officials showed "poor leadership ability" and "want everything to be done for them".

It comes after the mayor of Puerto Rico's capital city San Juan made a desperate plea for federal help.

"We have no time for patience any more," said Carmen Yulin Cruz in a news conference. "I am asking the President of the US to make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives.

"I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell."

Cruz, who is a member of the island's Popular Democratic party, said that federal aid was coming in too slowly, blasting what she called a "bureaucratic bottleneck".

She also criticized Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke for referring to the US response to the struggling Puerto Rico as a "good news story".

"Maybe from where she's standing it's a good news story," Cruz said. "When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it's not a good news story."

Cruz also accused the Trump administration of "killing us with inefficiency", which the President disputed in his early-morning Twitter tirade.

"They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort," Trump tweeted.

"10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."

"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," the President said in another tweet.

Trump also criticised the media, claiming that the "Fake News Networks" were disparaging the relief work of soldiers and the first responders on the island.

"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!", the President tweeted.

"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!," Trump said in another tweet.

Trump slams Puerto Rico leadership over hurricane response