In response to pushback from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz — who expressed frustration with the administration’s characterization of its response to devastation in Puerto Rico on Friday — President Donald Trump first blamed the U.S. territory’s leadership.
He then returned to his usual line of critique: blaming the media.
In a Saturday morning tweet storm, Trump lashed out at Cruz, blaming her and other’s in Puerto Rico for having “poor leadership” and claiming the disaster relief should be a “community effort.”
About 40 minutes later he tweeted again, saying the media is responsible for the critiques of his response to the recovery efforts and said specifically that CNN and NBC are “going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders” as a way to “get Trump.”
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
I will be going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday with Melania. Will hopefully be able to stop at the U.S. Virgin Islands (people working hard).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017
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
His comments follow his repeated critiques of the media for not showing the federal government’s recovery efforts in Puerto Rico in a good light. Trump has brought special attention to the U.S. territory’s debt in recent days, at one point suggesting that Puerto Rico’s “broken infrastructure” and debt may have contributed to the devastation.
