President Trump finally made a trip to stand in solidarity with the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, nearly two weeks after the storm blitzed the island, on Tuesday, October 3. The trip came amidst a feud with the mayor of San Juan, during which he's taken shots at her leadership in response to her pleas for the federal government to step up its logistical onus over the U.S. commonwealth so that aid may be delivered to the needy. Before completing the humanitarian excursion, the President took a few more shots, it appeared, only, it wasn't insulting he was lobbing. Rather, as cameras flicked and President Trump stood before piles of food and supplies, he began shooting rolls of paper towels towards those in attendance.
Trump's handling of the devastation in Puerto Rico has been nothing short of a public relations nightmare. Last week he steeped himself in controversy when he alluded to the commonwealth's debt to Wall Street bondholders while lamenting the destruction inhabitants will now be responsible for addressing. The President then infuriated many who had already viewed his response as inadequate, when during his outing at the President's Cup golf tournament he dedicated the trophy he had been given to those suffering on the island. And prior to helping distribute aid before the media, on Tuesday, Trump circled back to the issue of money being tight, when he remarked, "I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack."
The President is facing great condemnation over his tact during the trip, with one retired U.S. military officer (Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré) telling CNN: “The mayor’s living on a cot, and I hope the president has a good day at golf.”
