Acting Secretary of the DHS, Elaine Duke, gave a press conference Thursday about Puerto Rico in which she stressed that the Trump Administration’s post-hurricane response has been a good news story!
"I am very satisfied. I know it's a hard storm to recover from but the amount of progress that's been made, and I really would appreciate any support that we get. I know it is really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane."
This certainly came as news to Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan:
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz reacted with shock and anger to acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke on Friday, saying Puerto Rico's recovery is "not a good news story."
"This is a 'people are dying' story," she said in disbelief.
"Well maybe from where she's standing it's a good news story," Yulín Cruz told CNN's Alisyn Camerota after she was played the clip on "New Day." "When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it's not a good news story. When you have to pull people down from buildings -- I'm sorry, that really upsets me and frustrates me."
She continued: "I would ask you (Duke) to come down here and visit the towns and then make a statement like that, because frankly, it is an irresponsible statement in contrast with the statements of support that I have been getting yesterday when I got that call from the White House. Dammit, this is not a good news story. This is a 'people are dying' story. It's a life or death story."
Last night, an NBC reporter relayed a conversation he had with a local mayor — one of the many mayors who had been forced to waste precious fuel to travel to San Juan and report in about their supply needs — who said he can’t take supplies back to his community without a military escort. It would be too dangerous. The people are too desperate.