>>> IN ADDITION TO MANAGING A CITY ON THE VERGE OF A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS, THE MAYOR OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO FOUND
HERSELF SUBJECT TO INSUMMITS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES WHO USED HIS TWITTER ACCOUNT TO COMPLAIN SHE WASN'T
BEING COMPLEMENTARY ENOUGH OF THE FEDERAL RESPONSE BUT TODAY
DONALD TRUMP WAS IN HER CITY AND MAYOR CARMEN CRUZ MET HIM
FACE-TO-FACE. >> IT'S ABOUT SAVING LIVES.
IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS. >> IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER THE
PRESIDENT HEARD OR REALLY TRIED TO LISTEN TO THE MAYOR IN THAT
MOMENT, SHE TWEETED TODAY HER MEETING WITH WHITE HOUSE STAFF
WAS PRODUCTIVE. QUOTE, THEY REALLY UNDERSTOOD
THE REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN HOW
THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AND HOW THEY REALLY HAPPEN.
HOPEFULLY, THE NEWLY OPEN CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION WITH
THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF WILL PUT IN MOTION WHAT IS NEEDED TO
ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL -- SAVE LIVES.
AND JOINING US NOW IS SAN JUAN MAYOR CARMEN YULIN CRUZ.
MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE TALKING WITH YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION,
HOW IS YOUR CITY DOING? HOW IS THE RESPONSE PROGRESSING?
>> WELL, EVER SINCE LAST THURSDAY, THINGS STARTED PICKING
UP A LOT BECAUSE OF PRIVATE DONATIONS.
PEOPLE HAVE OVERCOME WITH SOLIDARITY.
AND CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, MIAMI BEACH, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK,
BOSTON, PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS AND NONGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OPERATION BLESSING HAVE JUST BEEN BRINGING
LOADS AND LOADS OF FOOD AND WATER.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT NOW HAVING THE FEMA SUPPLIES BEEN
BROUGHT DIRECTLY INTO THE MUNICIPALITY HAS HELPED A LOT.
SO WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO USE THE FEMA SUPPLIES TO HELP OTHER
MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING.
THE TOWN OF COMERIO, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME WITH DIFFERENT
TOWNS. SO THESE ARE PLACES IN THE INNER
SIDE OF THE ISLAND NATION OF PUERTO RICO WHERE NO ONE HAS
BEEN ABLE TO PRETTY MUCH GET -- THEY'VE BEEN THERE TO ASSESS.
THEY'VE BEEN THERE TO TALK. THEY'VE BEEN THERE TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT IS GOING ON. BUT THE PEOPLE KEEP JUST LACKING
WATER, LACKING FOOD, LACKING MEDICAL ATTENTION.
THERE ARE SIMPLE AND BASIC THINGS THAT WE ALL KNOW AND
NEED. BUT I REALLY FELT THAT THE
SECOND PART OF THE MEETINGS TODAY WITH THE WHITE HOUSE STAFF
WERE CONDUCIVE TO JUST SORT OF BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE
DISCONNECT OF WHAT THEY SAY IS HAPPENING.
BY THE WAY, THE PENTAGON DOES NOT AGREE WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT.
AND WHAT REALLY IS HAPPENING. AND I THINK THAT DISCONNECT IS
REALLY THAT GAP GOT CLOSED A LOT MORE BY TALKING TO FIVE MAYORS
THAT WERE THERE. AND WE WERE ABLE TO ALSO PROPOSE
SOLUTIONS TO SOME OF THE LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP. IN TERMS OF SAN JUAN, THE
FLOODING THAT WE HAD HAS RECEDED MOSTLY.
WE ARE USING THE ONGs AND OUR CHURCHES, FAITH-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS PROMOTING THAT THEY
START HAVING COMMUNITY KITCHENS AND COOKING FOR 400, 500 PEOPLE
AT A TIME. AND WE ARE NOW BECAUSE OF THE
PRIVATE DONATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING, MIXED WITH SOME OF
THE FEMA DONATIONS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH
BOXES FOR ONE WEEK WORTH OF FOOD.
IT MAKES IT A LOT MORE EFFICIENT.
AND THE TENTACLES OF ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THESE GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZATIONS ARE A BIG HELP TO THE MUNICIPALITY.
>> AND IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL SORT OF
ADDITIONS TO THE FEDERAL RESPONSE HAVE REALLY BEEN
HELPFUL. BUT I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU MAKE
OF THE PRESIDENT'S SORT OF RESPONSE TO YOU TODAY.
HE ASSEMBLED THIS SORT OF STRANGE ROUND TABLE SITUATION
WHERE WE WENT AROUND THE ROOM AND HAD PEOPLE PRAISE THE
FEDERAL RESPONSE. HE DID NOT CALL ON YOU.
THERE WAS THIS MOMENT WHEN THE TWO OF YOU INTERACTED, AND I
THINK WHAT YOU SAID TO HIM AND I'LL LET YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU
SAID TO HIM, THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS.
BUT HE DIDN'T EVEN SEEM TO RESPOND TO YOU OR REACT TO IT.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT? >> WELL, I SAID TO HIM IT'S
ABOUT SAVING LIVES, IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS.
AND HE DIDN'T RESPOND. BUT THIS WAS A PR 17-MINUTE
MEETING THERE WAS NO EXCHANGE WITH ANYBODY, WITH NONE OF THE
MAYORS. AND IN FACT THIS TERRIBLE AND
ABOMINABLE VIEW OF HIM THROWING PAPER TOWELS AND THROWING
PROVISIONS AT PEOPLE, IT'S REALLY -- IT DOES NOT EMBODY THE
SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN NATION, YOU KNOW.
THAT IS NOT THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE THAT
THE BEACON OF DEMOCRACY THAT PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED TO LOOK UP
TO, YOU KNOW. ACROSS THE WORLD.
HE WAS INSULTING TO THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO.
HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE PUERTO RICO, YOU REALLY HAVE TAKEN OUR
BUDGET OUT OF WHACK BECAUSE OF ALL THE MONEY WE'VE THROWN HERE.
HE KIND OF MINIMIZED OUR SUFFERING HERE BY SAYING THAT
KATRINA WAS A REAL DISASTER, SORT OF IMPLYING THAT THIS WAS
NOT A REAL DISASTER, BECAUSE NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED HERE.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY'RE DYING.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE MEDICAL RESOURCES.
THEY CAN'T GET TO THEIR DIALYSIS.
THEIR OXYGEN TANKS ARE STARTING NOT TO WORK BECAUSE THEY DON'T
HAVE GENERATORS. HOSPITALS ARE JUST COLLAPSING
BECAUSE OF THE GENERATOR SITUATION.
THE DIESEL DOESN'T GET TO WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE BEING CAGED, ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY.
AND THE PICTURES THERE, THE NEWS HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO EVERYTHING
THAT WE ARE SAYING. MAYORS NOW ARE STARTING TO TALK
A LOT MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE ENCOUNTERING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I SAID THIS MORNING THAT HE REALLY HAS A
COMMUNICATION ISSUE. >> YEAH.
>> YOU KNOW, HE'S SORT OF LIKE MISCOMMUNICATOR IN CHIEF,
REALLY. YOU DON'T GO TO ANOTHER PLACE
WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN PERIL AND ARE SUFFERING AND YOU JUST KIND OF
HOVER AROUND IN A HELICOPTER WITHOUT HAVING SOME KIND WORDS
TO SAY. THIS IS COMMON COURTESY.
BUT HIS STAFF, ON THE OTHER HAND, SEEMED TO WANT TO APPROACH
THIS A DIFFERENT WAY. >> ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION.
BECAUSE IT -- WHEN YOU TALK TO OTHER MAYORS IN PUERTO RICO, DO
YOU GET THE SENSE THAT THEY FEAR THAT IF THEY DON'T -- THAT THEY
HAVE TO PRAISE DONALD TRUMP IN ORDER TO GET THE FULL AID AND
ATTENTION THAT THEY DESERVE? >> YES.
TO THOSE THAT ARE ABLE TO TALK TO.
AND THE REASON IS SIMPLY ONE. MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN PUERTO
RICO DO NOT HAVE ANY ACCESS TO A PHONE.
>> YEAH. >> EVEN IF THEY HAVE A PHONE IN
THEIR POCKET, IT DOESN'T WORK. SO THIS LACK OF
INTERCONNECTIVITY IS ONE OF THE MAIN AND PRIMARY REASONS WHY
THINGS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PICKED UP BUT BY GOD, YOU GO TO
TIMBUKTU, YOU PUT IN A SATELLITE DISH AND YOU MAKE COMMUNICATIONS
HAPPEN. THESE ARE NOT LOGISTICAL THINGS
THAT CANNOT BE RESOLVED. >> RIGHT.
>> WE KNOW THEY'RE THERE. PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE WAITING FOR
SOMEBODY TO WRITE A FORUM TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
>> SAN JUAN MAYOR CARMIN YULIN CRUZ.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND BE WELL.
>> THANK YOU V