Carlos Barria | Reuters
President Donald Trump talks with reporters as he departures the Oval Office of the White House for Indianapolis, in Washington D.C., U.S. September 27, 2017.
Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosello, said earlier this week that the administration has been responsive to the island’s needs, and contrasted with Cruz’s emotional plea on Friday. For most of the week, Trump has deployed Rosello’s remarks to deflect criticism of the federal government’s response.
Although Trump’s tweets drew a measured response from Cruz herself on Saturday, they stirred a hornet’s nest of criticism on social media.
The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our “true colors”. We cannot be distracted by anything else.
Actor Lin Manuel Miranda, who is of Puerto Rican descent and has rallied with other celebrities to contribute to the island’s relief efforts, savaged Trump in a series of tweets he posted on Saturday.
‘No long lines for you. Someone will say, “Right this way, sir.’
Preet Bharara, the Manhattan federal prosecutor whom Trump abruptly dismissed earlier this year, faulted the president for his own leadership failures, and mocked his response.
Bharara
Charles W. Cooke, an editor for conservative journal The National Review, said that while Trump didn’t deserve the early critiques of his response, his posts on Saturday had changed Cooke’s opinion.
‘Now he deserves everything he gets. Utterly disgraceful.’
Since Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico with gale-force winds more than a week ago, frustration has mounted amid deteriorating conditions. Power and phone connectivity is scarce, as are basic necessities on the island, which is usually a draw for vacationers from the mainland.
Drone footage from San Juan, Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria.
–The Associated Press and CNBC’s Natalie Daher contributed to this article.