Trump: Puerto Rico leaders can’t ‘get their workers to help’

President Trump accused Puerto Rican workers of not helping in relief efforts on the island following the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

In a series of early-morning tweets, Trump blasted the “poor leadership ability” of the mayor of San Juan and “others in Puerto Rico” following the storm.

“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 said. “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.”

…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

…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

The Trump administration has scrambled to handle the ongoing crisis on the U.S. territory in recent days following pleas from local officials for help.

{mosads}Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke traveled to the island Friday to help coordinate the federal government’s recovery efforts, but was blasted by San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz for calling the government’s response to the crisis a “good news story.”

“Damnit, this is not a good news story,” Cruz said. “This is a people-are-dying story.”

The Trump administration placed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan in charge of the military relief operations Thursday, but he said Friday that the Defense Department has not sent enough troops and vehicles to the island.

Trump insisted Friday that his administration is doing an “incredible job” with relief efforts.

“We have done an incredible job, considering there’s absolutely nothing to work with,” Trump told reporters at the White House.