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| Puerto Rico: Trump is 'miscommunicator in chief', says mayor | Puerto Rico: Trump is 'miscommunicator in chief', says mayor |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The mayor of Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, has described Donald Trump's visit to the hurricane-hit island as "insulting" and called him a "miscommunicator-in-chief". | The mayor of Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, has described Donald Trump's visit to the hurricane-hit island as "insulting" and called him a "miscommunicator-in-chief". |
| Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz described his televised meeting with officials as a "PR, 17-minute meeting". | Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz described his televised meeting with officials as a "PR, 17-minute meeting". |
| The sight of him throwing paper towels to people in the crowd was "terrible and abominable", she added. | The sight of him throwing paper towels to people in the crowd was "terrible and abominable", she added. |
| Mr Trump tweeted it had been a "great day" in Puerto Rico. | Mr Trump tweeted it had been a "great day" in Puerto Rico. |
| But he also took another swipe at the reporting of his trip. | But he also took another swipe at the reporting of his trip. |
| Tuesday's five-hour presidential trip to San Juan came two weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, and followed complaints that the US government's handling of the storm's aftermath was too slow. | Tuesday's five-hour presidential trip to San Juan came two weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, and followed complaints that the US government's handling of the storm's aftermath was too slow. |
| Only 7% of the island has power and more remote parts of the island - a US territory - have been without food, water and basic medical aid. | Only 7% of the island has power and more remote parts of the island - a US territory - have been without food, water and basic medical aid. |
| Before landing on the island, Mr Trump graded his own administration's response as an "A-plus". | Before landing on the island, Mr Trump graded his own administration's response as an "A-plus". |
| During his televised meeting with emergency responders and officials of Puerto Rico, he went out of his way to praise - and seek compliments for - the federal response. | During his televised meeting with emergency responders and officials of Puerto Rico, he went out of his way to praise - and seek compliments for - the federal response. |
| "Every death is a horror," the president said, "but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous - hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, and you look at what happened here, with really a storm that was just totally overpowering, nobody's ever seen anything like this." | "Every death is a horror," the president said, "but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous - hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people that died, and you look at what happened here, with really a storm that was just totally overpowering, nobody's ever seen anything like this." |
| He then turned to the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosello, and asked how many people had died in the storm. | He then turned to the governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosello, and asked how many people had died in the storm. |
| "Seventeen? Sixteen people certified, 16 people versus in the thousands," Mr Trump said, referring to the 2005 hurricane that killed 1,833 people in New Orleans. | "Seventeen? Sixteen people certified, 16 people versus in the thousands," Mr Trump said, referring to the 2005 hurricane that killed 1,833 people in New Orleans. |
| Governor Rosello later clarified that the number of people in Puerto Rico killed by Maria had increased to 34. | Governor Rosello later clarified that the number of people in Puerto Rico killed by Maria had increased to 34. |
| Mr Trump also pointed to the impact of the cost of storm recovery on US domestic spending, which was already facing a budget shortfall of $72bn (£54bn), telling Puerto Ricans "you've thrown our budget a little out of whack... but that's fine". | Mr Trump also pointed to the impact of the cost of storm recovery on US domestic spending, which was already facing a budget shortfall of $72bn (£54bn), telling Puerto Ricans "you've thrown our budget a little out of whack... but that's fine". |
| After his meeting, he toured in and around San Juan, stopping at a church to hand out relief supplies and throwing paper towels into the crowd. | |
| At one point he reportedly glanced at a pile of solar-powered flashlights and - apparently unaware of the ongoing power problems - said "you don't need 'em anymore", the Washington Post reports. | |
| Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz told MSNBC after the visit that his meeting with officials had been a PR exercise in which "there was no exchange with anybody, with none of the mayors". | Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz told MSNBC after the visit that his meeting with officials had been a PR exercise in which "there was no exchange with anybody, with none of the mayors". |
| She went on to say: "This terrible and abominable view of him throwing paper towels and throwing provisions at people, it really - it does not embody the spirit of the American nation, you know?" | She went on to say: "This terrible and abominable view of him throwing paper towels and throwing provisions at people, it really - it does not embody the spirit of the American nation, you know?" |
| She said his comments about throwing the US budget out of whack were "insulting to the people of Puerto Rico", and his comparisons with Katrina "minimised our suffering". | She said his comments about throwing the US budget out of whack were "insulting to the people of Puerto Rico", and his comparisons with Katrina "minimised our suffering". |
| "Well you know what? They are dying. They don't have the medical resources," she pointed out. | "Well you know what? They are dying. They don't have the medical resources," she pointed out. |
| Ms Cruz said he had become "sort of like miscommunicator-in-chief" who showed no interest in reaching out to those who were suffering. But she went on to say "his staff, on the other hand, seemed to want to approach this a different way". | Ms Cruz said he had become "sort of like miscommunicator-in-chief" who showed no interest in reaching out to those who were suffering. But she went on to say "his staff, on the other hand, seemed to want to approach this a different way". |
| She tweeted after the meeting: | She tweeted after the meeting: |
| Ms Cruz had been called a poor leader by President Trump in a tweet at the weekend after she accused his administration of "killing us with the inefficiency". | Ms Cruz had been called a poor leader by President Trump in a tweet at the weekend after she accused his administration of "killing us with the inefficiency". |
| On Tuesday, she shook hands with him and told him: "It's about saving lives, it's not about politics". He did not respond. | On Tuesday, she shook hands with him and told him: "It's about saving lives, it's not about politics". He did not respond. |
| Following the visit, the White House announced it was preparing to send a $29bn (£22bn) disaster aid request to Congress. | Following the visit, the White House announced it was preparing to send a $29bn (£22bn) disaster aid request to Congress. |
| Of that, $13bn would be for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas, while the other $16bn would be for the government-backed flood insurance programme. | Of that, $13bn would be for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas, while the other $16bn would be for the government-backed flood insurance programme. |