A Republican Party source familiar with internal discussions said that President Donald Trump’s tweets about the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico were a response to the remarks of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz. According to the unnamed source, the timing of Trump’s tweets coincides with the mayor’s renewed criticism. Trump and Cruz clashed while Puerto Rico was recovering from Hurricane Maria. Cruz even said that she doesn’t care about Trump’s comments, while he said that she is “nasty”.
“We cannot keep FEMA (Federal Emergency Managment Agency), the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever,” Trump wrote on Twitter. Yulin Cruz responded to this.
“@POTUS It is not that you do not get it; you are incapable of fulfilling the moral imperative to help the people of PR. Shame on you.,” she wrote on Twitter.
The unnamed source still assures that official Washington is committed to Puerto Rico’s recovery. John Kelly, White House chief of staff said that Trump’s tweet is accurate, considering they will not be there forever, CNN reported.
“There will be a period in which we hope sooner rather than later, the US military and FEMA, generally speaking can withdraw because then the government and people of Puerto Rico are recovering sufficiently to start the process of rebuilding,” he said. According to Marc Short, White House legislative affairs director, Trump’s tweets aren’t a threat to withdraw aid.
“I think there’s a growing push to say help fix the problems that existed before the hurricane. And that’s not fair to the American taxpayer,” Short said.
Some Republican sources criticize the President’s attitude regarding Puerto Rico and others support him. One of the unnamed sources thinks that Puerto Rico needs to get its finances in order. At the same time, Luis Fortuno, former Republican Puerto Rico Governor, is confused by Trump’s tweets.
“It’s puzzling, given everything the administration is doing to reconstruct the island. I sense a real commitment from everyone in administration to go the extra mile,” he said.
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