Trump supporter in Puerto Rico said on Saturday that she was “surprised” at the president’s comments criticizing recovery efforts in the territory following Hurricane Maria.
“I was pretty surprised. I’m pro-Trump, but these comments surprised me very much. He didn’t say those comments for the people in Florida or Texas, and we are as Americans as those people,” Gabriela Gonzalez said.
The president has been criticized for not responding properly to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria. The federal government has been working on recovery efforts on the island, but some have suggested those efforts aren’t sufficient or as thorough as past efforts responding to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida.
President Trump responded early Saturday, criticizing the leadership of the mayor of San Juan, as well as locals’ contribution to recovery work.
“Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort,” Trump tweeted on Saturday. “10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.”