
The devastation caused by Hurricane Maria to the US territory of Puerto Rico has become another talking point of President Donald Trump's priorities, after he was pictured jetting off to his New Jersey golf course on Friday.
A large proportion of the island's 3.4 million residents are without power, food, and clean water, and at least 16 people have already died as a result of Hurricane Maria.
President Trump has had an overzealous reaction to make up for his previous silence on the rescue in Puerto Rico.
In a press conference on Friday the Mayor of the capital city San Juan, Carmen YulÃn Cruz, pleaded for federal aid:
We are dying, and you are 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 concluded:
So I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct.
I am mad as hell
The Trump White House appears to have reacted to these accusations by attacking the mayor.
According to ABC an unnamed White Houses spokesperson said they were 'not sure' she would greet the President when he visited the US territory on Tuesday.
She has been invited to FEMA command centre several times to see operations and be part of efforts but so far has refused to come, maybe too busy doing TV?
The President also took to Twitter to slam the Mayor for being 'nasty'.
Having initially thanked Cruz for supporting FEMA, on Saturday evening he tweeted:
Later he added:
President Trump has also been criticised for visiting his New Jersey golf course this weekend while a disaster recovery operation is underway in Puerto Rico:
U.S. President Donald Trump steps from Air Force One as he arrives in Morristown to spend the weekend at his golf club in nearby Bedminster, New Jersey, 29 September 2017. (Picture: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
Jason Kander, a former government official in the Obama Administration shared this image of Cruz wading through flood waters.
The Mayor of San Juan is wading through sewage, searching for people with a bullhorn while @realDonaldTrump insults… https://t.co/aU12FQZkEP— Jason Kander (@Jason Kander) 1506783395
The image, which appeared in a piece by NBCand on CNN has gone viral, as have images of Donald Trump on the golf course.
The #MajorOfSanJuan is the woman in the water: #CarmenYulÃnCruz #UBum- is on the golf course. #PuertoRico https://t.co/1F43rIk8vB— Bonnie Greer (@Bonnie Greer) 1506811235
#PuertoRico San Juan Mayor showing true leadership while the other guy is playing golf and tweeting https://t.co/HtYFcLNRMx— Sam Colón (@Sam Colón) 1506793070
Perspective on "Trump lashes out" at mayor of Puerto Rico. One wades in sewage to find those in need and sleeps on… https://t.co/5pMfigdegG— Kelli Miller (@Kelli Miller) 1506793383
Trump - Golf - Puerto Rico If there was one of his golf courses there I'm sure relief would have arrived in a matt… https://t.co/a3uxaza4gi— ðŸ¥Mangoman🥠(@ðŸ¥MangomanðŸ¥) 1506833427
According to MSNBC, this is the 67th day the President has spent golfing since he was sworn in as President in January.
Other critics included celebrity Kim Kardashian West, who on Saturday politely asked the President to stop tweeting.
They don’t have power to watch the news!!! Please stop tweeting & golfing while people are dying! Please step up &… https://t.co/KsWkYkwhL8— Kim Kardashian West (@Kim Kardashian West) 1506805646
HT The Independent, MSNBC