Trump blasts CNN, NBC for ‘fake news’ attack on federal response to Puerto Rico disaster
President Trump on Saturday blasted the news media for attacking the administration’s response to the hurricane disaster in Puerto Rico, saying the negative coverage was undermining the effort.
“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!” the president wrote on Twitter, referring to first responders.
Many news outlets have been criticizing the Trump administration’s response to the devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, which wiped out electric power, communications and transportation systems across the island.
The president has been accused of not showing empathy and not doing enough to rush aid to victims.
The response by the Trump administration has been defended by Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello. But others, including San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, have said insufficient response had put lives at risk.
The president also took on the mayor.
“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,” he wrote in an earlier series of tweets.
“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,” he said.
Mr. Trump is scheduled to visit Puerto Rico Tuesday to survey the damage and relief efforts. He will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, as well as Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon, the Puerto Rico delegate to Congress.
“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),” the president wrote on Twitter.
The Virgin Islands also were hard hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
The Washington Times - Saturday, September 30, 2017
