Being part of Donald Trump's PR team must be pretty difficult. It seems like the President of the United States is constantly making blunder after blunder, and while his loyal legion of fans continue to back their President, the majority of us are shaking our heads in disbelief at some of the words and tweets that the President comes out with.
Trump has received a fair bit of scorn over the last week due to his handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Tweeting from his golf club where he was on holiday, Trump criticized the Mayor of San Juan and disparaged Puerto Rican citizens as lazy people who "want everything done for them".
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914087234869047296]]
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914089003745468417]]
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914089888596754434]]
"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," Trump began in his Twitter tirade. "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," he added. "They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."
"They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."
The President then went on (another) bizarre rant about fake news. However, Trump has now finally fulfilled his presidential duties and has visited Puerto Rico in person. Although, it's fair to say it didn't exactly go to plan, with the President making quite a few embarrassing blunders during his visit.
1."Every death is a horror, but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina, and you look at the tremendous, hundreds and hundreds of people that died...you can be very proud. Sixteen versus literally thousands and thousands of people."
Just because fewer people have died in Marina compared to Katrina, it doesn't make it any less "real". Also, "thousands and thousands" of people didn't die during Katrina.
2."I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you've thrown our budget out of whack."
Yes, how dare Puerto Rico have a hurricane, how dare they!? I'm sure the last thing these people care about right now is how this will affect the budget. They're probably more concerned with staying alive and finding lost loved ones.
This isn't a game and you are not Oprah. Just give out the towels like a normal human being.
Pretty cringey stuff, right? Understandably, people aren't too impressed with Trump's behaviour in Puerto Rico, accusing him of being disrespectful and oblivious to the destruction that is around him. No doubt he will think it all went perfectly well though, and will accuse the media of spreading fake news regarding the reaction of the public.
A week ago, category four Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, killing 16 people and leaving millions more in need of help.
It is the latest in a string of devastating natural disasters to have wrought havoc in recent weeks, after the unprecedented scenes of flooding in Houston, and brutal tempests that hit the Caribbean and Florida.
It would seem that, as time continues to drag on, the situation in Puerto Rico is becoming ever more fraught, and San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz has issued a desperate call for aid in the wake of the devastation;
"I am asking the president of the United States to make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives."I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell." She said in a news conference.
Mayor Cruz expressed her disbelief that a country with the rescources of the United States could not organise itself with more urgency to help those trapped in Puerto Rico;
“We are dying here, and I cannot fathom the thought that the greatest nation in the world cannot figure out logistics for a small island of 100 miles by 35 miles".
In emotionally charged scenes, she continued;
“I am going to do what I never thought I would do. I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying.“We are dying, and you are killing us with inefficiency and bureaucracy.”
The BBC has reported the mayor as suggesting that the island will be without power for six to eight months as a result of the disaster, and it is believed that half of the 3.4 million people living on the island are currently without drinking water.
President Trump, though, appears to have taken exception to the notion that his government is not doing enough to help Puerto Rico in the wake of the hurricane.
Taking to Twitter, Donald Trump seemed to lash out at Mayor Cruz when he wrote;
"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump."
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914087234869047296]]
He continued;
"...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...."
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914089003745468417]]
Before completing the thought in a following tweet;
"...want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914089888596754434]]
The President also appeared to suggest that certain news outlets' coverage of the disaster response effort was unfair;
"The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's. Shame!"
Mayor Cruz appeared on CNBC to maintain that the island needed help, "“Actually, I was asking for help,” she explained, "I wasn’t saying anything nasty about the president.”. She says we will continue to do "whatever I need to" to help those in trouble.
Here's the latest in the Trump outrage industrial complex: since landing on Puerto Rico, Trump has made a number of disparaging comments about the extent of the disaster, acting pretty entitled. Trump expressed fiscal concerns:
"I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you are throwing our budget out of whack. We've spent a lot of money in Puerto Rico."
[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914465475777695744]]
And worse, he has downplayed the death toll, which cannot be accurately measured due to the lack of death certificates. They can't be issued quickly enough to catch up.
“If you look at the — every death is a horror, but if you look at a real catastrophe like Katrina and you look at the tremendous hundreds and hundreds of people that died and what happened here with a storm that was just totally overbearing. No one has ever seen anything like that. What is your death count?"
Governor Ricardo Rosselló replied "Sixteen."
Trump said they should be "very proud" and called the disaster response a "miracle". Yet, FEMA has still not authorized full disaster relief for Puerto Rico.
So, we know this much about Trump: if you praise him, he loves you. If you put pressure on him, he hates you. If you'll remember, the media cycle leading up to his Puerto Rico response was full of Trump being told that he isn't doing anything and tons of journalists asking "Why isn't anyone talking about Puerto Rico?" That put a chip on his shoulder, and made him frustrated and want to prove that he was doing well. So he comes across this way most likely because of that.
Here is the full remark he made about the death toll:
"Sixteen people certified. Sixteen people versus in the thousands. You can be very proud of all of your people and all of our people working together. Sixteen versus literally thousands of people. You can be very proud. Everyone around this table and everyone watching can be very proud of what's taking place in Puerto Rico."
Trump also briefly brought up Hurricane Harvey:
"In Texas, it came in and did devastation and went out into the coast. It came in three times and would lot up and come in. Nobody has ever seen water like that. They saved 16,000 lives in Texas. Hard to believe. Between the helicopters and all of them. The Coast Guard in Texas saved 16,000 lives. They went through the hurricane, and there are not too many people who would have done it. Believe me."
So, let's play a game - everyone's talking about gun control right now, right? Well, which Trump tweet will make everybody forget about guns completely and swivel into the next news cycle with total amnesia? I give it 2 or 3 days. I'll be here to report the nonsensical thing, at least.
I mean, can we just please have a bit of memory? Let's reflect on the past week, shall we?
We went from the North Korean nuclear threat to the NFL protests to Puerto Rico to the Las Vegas shooting. It's pretty clear that's all just a ride at this point, a pain parade. No one is going to do a barking thing about a single one of these issues at any point. We're just here to fulfill our part of the wheel, and roll on, from aimless pain-issue to the next.
Donald Trump may have delivered a blockbuster campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday night, but the evening has been marred by a controversial "joke".
Trump's night at MSG was marred by one speaker's comment. Credit: The Washington Post / Getty
It was an evening of spectacle for the former POTUS. With election day a little over a week away, Musk pulled out some of big names to appear as speakers.
From running mate JD Vance to billionaire X boss Elon Musk to Hulk Hogan and Tucker Carlson - it was a high profile guest list. Even Melania Trump took to the stage to introduce her husband.
However, one headline-grabbing moment that has emerged from the evening comes from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who made an undeniably disgusting joke about Puerto Rico.
Tony Hinchcliffe's joke was not well-received. Credit: The Washington Post / Getty
Taking to the mic, Hinchcliffe - who is known by his stage name Kill Tony - said: "There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now
He then paused before delivering the punch line: "I think it’s called Puerto Rico."
The "joke" drew some laughter from the crowd at MSG, but - for the most part - it was clear that it fell flat, with a number of groans also being heard.
"Okay. Alright... okay, we're getting there," Hinchliffe uttered after, seemingly aware that the joke had not gone down well.
Immediately, the comment circulated on social media, with a number of Latino celebrities now urging their fans to back Kamala Harris.
Bad Bunny - who is one of the most streamed artists in the world - shared a video to his Instagram page, showing the Vice President saying: "There’s so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico.
"I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader."
Bad Bunny shared support for Harris following the comment. Credit: Instagram/BadBunny
Ricky Martin also threw his support behind Harris. Credit: Instagram/ricky_martin
Ricky Martin took to Instagram, telling his followers: "That’s what they think of us," before also urging his fans to vote for Harris.
And Republican senator for Florida Rick Scott also slammed the joke, writing on X: "This joke bombed for a reason. It’s not funny and it’s not true.
"Puerto Ricans are amazing people and amazing Americans! I’ve been to the island many times. It’s a beautiful place. Everyone should visit! I will always do whatever I can to help any Puerto Rican in Florida or on the island."
Additionally, Representative Jenniffer González-Colón - Puerto Rico’s nonvoting member of Congress and a Republican - labeled the joke "despicable, ill-advised and disgusting".
And it also appears as if the Trump party wants to distance itself away from the joke.
A statement to ABC News from the Trump campaign’s senior advisor Danielle Alvarez reads: "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."
In response Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has asked her Puerto Rican followers to widely share the clip of Hinchcliffe’s joke to their families.
"When you have some a-hole calling Puerto Rico ‘floating garbage,’ know that that's what they think about you," she said, during a stream with Gov. Tim Walz.
In response, Hinchliffe took to X and defended the joke, directing the following message to AOC and Walz: "These people have no sense of humor.
"Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his 'busy schedule' to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim…might be time to change your tampon."
To which, AOC has responded, tweeting: "You’re opening for Trump by calling Puerto Rico a floating pile of garbage. 4,000+ Puerto Ricans died under him.
"This isn’t the comedy store. You’re using your set to boost neo-Nazis like MTG & stripping women’s rights to the Stone Age. Your 'sense of humor' doesn’t change that."
Featured image credit: The Washington Post / Getty
On Friday, giving a speech, President Trump said he had "met with the president of the Virgin Islands" to discuss hurricane relief. Which is all well and good, except for the fact that Trump IS the President of the Virgin Islands, which is part of the US. Does he know? Who knows!
Sam Topp, communications director for the Governor, said:
“I would not want to in any way involve the governor of the Virgin Islands in any national dispute in the media about what the president knows about the relationship between the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands."It doesn't serve our purpose to participate in the national hoopla over whether Donald Trump is making competent comments or not. Just look at the documents that govern the relationship [between the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands], and you can determine how relevant or irrelevant, or advised or ill-advised, his comments were. There’s no president of the United States other than the president of the United States."
Very classy response from Topp, there. Remember when Obama accidentally said there were 51 states, and conservatives talked about it for weeks? Yeah. If Trump gaffes could be counted, they'd be quite a bit worse. He makes a lot of mistakes when he speaks. Which is fine, but he claims to have a "great brain" and a high IQ. In fact, he's challenged his own Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to an IQ test after he reportedly called him a "moron" in July.
It's like the President really enjoys Rick and Morty or something. Man, he's so smart. "To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand the 8-dimensional chess of Donald Trump. Every move he makes has great subtlety, and-"
I mean, I'm sure he is smart. He became the President. But he just can't let anything go, and God forbid anyone be better than him at anything. He's probably hunched over a notebook right now, penning bars, trying to outrap Eminem.
Does Trump know he's President of the Virgin Islands? Well, despite his $700 billion military, he claimed it would be too hard to get supplies to Puerto Rico fast because of a "big ocean". Yeah, all those military bases in every corner of the world? Easy. Relief to Puerto Rico? We can't exactly teleport around the globe, now!
The gaps in President Trump's knowledge are somewhat irrelevant though. At the end of his day, his advisers convince him to do things, and the Republican Party has to pass all his stuff. Honestly, it's gone better than it could have. Until he unleashes the executive actions.
What do you think? Do you want a Trump IQ test? They should reveal it on live TV, like Jerry Springer, and have Trump and Tillerson react in real-time to their IQs being shown. I for one want to see the numbers. Big numbers, big figures, huge returns. Just huge. 212? 240? Try an IQ of 379, plebeians. Trump is smarter than Socrates fused with Jesus fused with Max Planck.
As president, Donald Trump has struggled to play the role of consoler-in-chief. After calling a pregnant widow, she said he couldn't remember her dead husband's name and "made her cry even worse." After Hurricane Maria pummeled Puerto Rico, he bashed the Mayor on Twitter and hurled paper towels at the victims like he was playing a game. And after the deadly mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, he posed with the first responders for a photo, grinning, with two thumbs up, like he was cutting the ribbon on a new hotel.
Time after time, President Trump has shown a stunning lack of empathy. This trend continued when he met with the teenage survivors of the Florida shooting for a listening session. It's commendable that the President met with the kids, whose powerful voices have ignited a passionate national debate about gun control. However, the cameras caught a glimpse of his cue cards, which included prompts to say basic things like "I hear you." Critics slammed him for needing a cheat sheet to simulate human reactions.
At the Parkland massacre, Stoneman Douglas High School senior Samantha Fuentes was shot in both legs, and still has shrapnel lodged behind her eye. In an interview with The New York Times, she says that President Trump visited her in the hospital, and she had "never been so unimpressed by a person in [her] life."
"He said he heard that I was a big fan of his, and then he said, ‘I’m a big fan of yours too.’ I’m pretty sure he made that up.
"Talking to the president, I’ve never been so unimpressed by a person in my life. He didn’t make me feel better in the slightest."
She adds that Trump called the gunman a “sick puppy” and said “‘oh boy, oh boy, oh boy,’ like, seven times.”
It sounds like the President could have used his Cliff Notes.
To be fair, Trump also visited Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, died in the shooting, and the grieving father had nothing but good things to say about the experience:
"He showed us nothing but love. The guy really cared, you know? He flew us in, he had a bus waiting for us, he made time for us.
He took pictures of my daughter that we brought, and he said he was going to look at it every day.
He’s a regular guy. I wouldn’t have been there if I didn’t think he cared."
Another participant in the White House listening session, 18-year-old Sam Zeif, said he felt stung by the President's cue cards and cold body language:
"Everything I said was directly from the heart, and he had to write down ‘I hear you.'
"Half the time during that meeting, his arms were crossed — I kept wanting to say, ‘Mr. President, uncross your arms.’ To me, that is the international sign for closemindedness; it’s really just a big ‘no.’”
"He may have heard us, but he’s never going to feel what we feel, because his kids are protected by the people that came to save me and my classmates that day."
For a man who strives to be so impressive, stamping his golden name on glitzy buildings, he's sure lacking in some ways.
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
