One of the most positive attributes of the American people is our ability to come together during catastrophes, put our personal feelings aside, and work to extend a hand to our neighbors in need in times of crisis. This was true after September 11, 2001, and despite the failures of George W. Bush after Hurricane Katrina, it was true of the American people then, too.
Enter Donald Trump.
This is not the first time Trump has gone after San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who is in charge only of San Juan and not responsible for the nearly 3,000 deaths across the territory of Puerto Rico. When the mayor first spoke out against the lack of federal response following Hurricane Maria, Trump ranted and insulted her on Twitter rather than attempting to find a way to help.
 
For her part, Yulin Cruz responded to Trump calling her an “ingrate” while actually doing the footwork and the overwhelming job of responding to the disaster.
At the time, Trump flew to Puerto Rico and held a press conference with the governor, where the president complained about the money being spent to help recovery efforts and admonished them for not being a “real tragedy” like Hurricane Katrina. To date, over 1,000 more people died as a result of Maria than Katrina.
The days of the American people reaching across the aisle and setting aside political differences when their neighbors are in need seem to be over thanks to the presidency of Donald Trump.
Twitter was astonished by the partisan attack. See some of their comments below:
Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license
