Mayor of San Juan tells Trump that he is leaving Puerto Rico to die

"It is not that you do not get it, it is that you are incapable of empathy and frankly simply cannot get the job done."
 By 
Heather Dockray
 on 
Mayor of San Juan tells Trump that he is leaving Puerto Rico to die
Credit: mandel ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Ninety percent of Puerto Rico lacks electricity, and only 63% of residents have access to potable water, but President Trump is ready to close up shop on the U.S. territory.

His job here -- which mostly involved throwing paper towels -- is done.

After Trump suggested on Twitter this morning that he might pull FEMA from the island, Mayor of San Juan Carmen Yulín Cruz struck back by composing a devastating letter addressed to the president.

"Your tweets and comments just show desperation and underscore the inadequacy of your government's response to this humanitarian crisis," Yulín Cruz writes. "It is not that you do not get it, it is that you are incapable of empathy and frankly simply cannot get the job done."

The Mayor slammed the president once again for visiting Puerto Rico simply for the photo op.

"Ever since this ordeal began, San Juan has had over 300 sustained volunteers. Good, hard working people from New York, Florida, California, Texas, and many others who embody the fundamental values of compassion, ingenuity and hard work that you are certainly unable to express . . . These volunteers have seen the horror that you continue to want to dismiss."

She continued with a final, desperate plea to the United Nations, UNICEF, and the world to "stand with the people of Puerto Rico" and and "stop the genocide that will result" from lack of action.

"Simply Put: HELP US. WITHOUT ROBUST and CONSISTENT HELP we will die."

A report from the EPA yesterday revealed that desperate Puerto Ricans, lacking resources, have started to drink water from nearby Superfund sites, polluted locations that the EPA designated as sites that require a longterm clean up.

As of right now, the official death toll in Puerto Rico stands at 45, though some have estimated that it could be as high as 450 or more.

Topics Donald Trump

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Heather Dockray

Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.

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