Donald Trump dedicates President Cup golf trophy to hurricane victims
As Puerto Ricans continue struggling for access to food and water, in New Jersey on Sunday, President Trump dedicated the trophy of the President's Cup golf tournament to hurricane victims.
SEE ALSO:Here's where Trump spent the past 10 days as Puerto Rico collapsedWhile presenting the trophy to U.S. team captain Steve Stricker, Trump, referring to hurricane victims, said, "We’re going to dedicate this trophy to all of those people that went through so much that we love, a part of our great state, really a part of our great nation."
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In his statement, Trump continued to lament the the tragedy and damage wrought by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. But amidst the dedication, the president again emphasized the effectiveness of his administration's response.
“On behalf of all of the people of Texas, and all of the people — if you look today and see what is happening, how horrible it is, but we have it under really great control — Puerto Rico, and the people of Florida who have really suffered over this last short period of time with the hurricanes, I want to just remember them," said the president.
Donald Trump is the first president to present the President's Cup trophy in the tournament's history.
Many people on Twitter criticized the president for statements they perceived as tone deaf. Others took issue with the fact that Trump chose to attend a golf tournament before his planned trip to Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
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The dedication comes amidst widespread criticism of the president's response to hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. San Juan mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz has begged for assistance for what she says is a "life and death" situation for her people. President Trump in turn criticized the mayor for "poor leadership" and said that her characterization of the situation was politically motivated.
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The trophy dedication, alongside the president's tweetstorm criticizing Cruz on Saturday morning and his insistence that FEMA is doing a "great job," has contributed to the perception that the president is callously mishandling a national emergency.
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If you don't have a golf trophy lying around, here's how you can help Hurricane Maria victims now.
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