Just days after Donald Trump insulted the mayor of San Juan on social media, the two met during the president's trip to Puerto Rico. Not long after the two shook hands, the mayor gave her honest thoughts about the commander in chief.
Trump in Puerto Rico
After the devastating hurricanes in Texas, Cuba, and Florida, Hurricane Maria ripped through Puerto Rico nearly two weeks ago. In its aftermath, 16 people have been confirmed dead, with thousands having to evacuate their homes in an attempt at finding safer grounds. With power out on the entire island, food and water became a major issue to the point that CNN reported people eating dog food.
After nearly a week, Donald Trump finally spoke about the issue, doing so in a series of tweets where he made sure to bring up Puerto Rico's "massive debt" to the United States. In addition, Trump responded to San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz's criticism by questioning her "leadership" in a follow-up tweet. On Tuesday, Trump arrived on the island, but not before complaining about the high cost of the recovery to the United States' debt, in addition to downplaying the death toll. As reported by Mediaite on October 3, Cruz met Trump face to face before ripping into him during a an interview later on.
With reporters surrounding them, Donald Trump and San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz finally met and politely shook hands.
In a pair of tweets, Cruz made sure to praise the White House staff for their hard work. "Meeting with WH staff productive," Cruz tweeted, before adding, "They REALLY understood the disconnect between how things are supposed to happen and how they really happen." "Hopefully the newly open channels of communication with WH staff will put in motion what is needed to accomplish our goal: save lives," she added in a follow-up tweet.
Hopefully the newly open channels of communication with WH staff will put in motion what is needed to accomplish our goal: save lives.
— Carmen Yulín Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) October 3, 2017
Cruz doubles down
Despite her in words for the White House staff, Carmen Yulín Cruz wasn't as positive when it came to Donald Trump. While speaking to CNN during an interview on Tuesday afternoon, Cruz hit back at Trump for his aforementioned comments about Puerto Rico's debt to the United States, and his remarks about the body county.
"It just goes to prove the lack of sensibility," Cruz said.
Not stopping there, Carmen Yulín Cruz went on to say she hopes Donald Trump "stops spouting off comments that really hurt the people of Puerto Rico." "Rather than Commander-in-Chief, he sort of becomes Miscommunicator-in-Chief," Cruz said of the president." As Trump prepares to leave the island and head to Las Vegas following the worst mass shooting in American history, it appears his relationship with Cruz is no better than it was before he arrived in Puerto Rico.
