Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) slammed President Trump on Saturday after he launched a slew of tweets suggesting that Puerto Rico was not doing enough to help itself in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
In an interview on MSNBC, Gutierrez, who is visiting Puerto Rico amid recovery efforts, savaged Trump for not yet visiting the storm-ravaged island and instead spending the weekend at his Bedminster, N.J. golf course.
“Just to see the mud and the debris filled with the rivers that have overflowed, seeing people who are trapped, and seeing people risking their lives to rescue them,” Gutierrez said.
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“No, Mr. President, people are working – come here and see. Quiet down your Twitter and open your heart to the people of Puerto Rico.”
Trump took aim at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz in an early-morning tweet on Saturday, saying that she “and others in Puerto Rico” expect “everything to be done for them” by the federal government.
“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,” he wrote in a pair of tweets. “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 has faced scrutiny this week over his administration’s response to a growing crisis in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The administration stepped up its efforts on the island on Thursday, more than a week after the storm hit.
In sporadic tweets throughout the day, Trump has defended his administration’s response, and accused the media of trying to downplay the efforts of first responders and emergency workers in the U.S. territory.