As the crisis in Puerto Rico worsens following Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact on the region, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz lambasted acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke on Friday morning, taking aim at comments Duke made about recovery efforts.
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Duke said on Thursday that she is “very satisfied” with how the Trump administration is responding to the hurricane, saying that the efforts are essentially a “good news story.”
“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,” she said.
But Cruz hit back at these comments during a CNN interview on Friday, saying that, from her position, this is anything but the case.
“Well, maybe from where she’s standing it’s a good news story. 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,” she said. “When you have to pull people down from buildings — I’m sorry, that really upsets me and frustrates me.”
Cruz said that Duke’s comments amounted to an “irresponsible statement.”
“Dammit, this is not a good news story,” she said. “This is a ‘people are dying’ story.”
Watch her reaction below:
Puerto Rico is still dealing with widespread chaos and devastation after Hurricane Maria hit the region earlier this month.