San Juan mayor: Trump ‘looking for an excuse for things that are not going well’

The mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico dismissed a slurry of criticism from President Trump on Saturday, saying that the president is simply “looking for an excuse for things that are not going well.”

In a series of tweets Saturday morning, Trump lashed out at Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of the Puerto Rico’s capital, calling her leadership “poor” and suggesting that she “and others in Puerto Rico” were relying too heavily on federal aid to help rebuild the island, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria last week.

Trump also suggested that Cruz had been told by Democrats that she “must be nasty” to him. 

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“It’s interesting. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent representatives here. So he’s not a Democrat,” Cruz said on CNN. “I just think [Trump] looking for an excuse for things that are not going well.”

Just a day earlier, Cruz had pleaded for federal help, describing a dire situation in Puerto Rico, where most of the population remains without power and many necessities, like food and fuel, are in short supply.

Trump has faced criticism for his response to Hurricane Maria, which struck Puerto Rico last week. The administration ramped up its efforts on Thursday – more than a week after the storm hit.

Throughout Saturday, Trump tweeted defenses of his administration’s efforts to provide relief to the U.S. territory, saying that “poor leadership” from Cruz and others have hindered the overall response. He also accused the media of downplaying the work of first responders and federal personnel on the island.

Trump, who is spending the weekend at his Bedminster, N.J. golf course, is expected to travel to Puerto Rico on Tuesday to survey the damage.