The following article by David Nakamura was posted on the Washington Post website October 1, 2017:
The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter’s insights
JERSEY CITY — From a glass balcony overlooking the 14th hole of the Presidents Cup golf event, President Trump on Sunday conveyed a clear statement: He would not be intimidated by the outcry over his administration’s response to the devastation on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
His decision to preside over the Presidents Cup, stopping on the way back to Washington from his own luxury golf club in Bedminster, N.J., is likely to further the outcry from some Puerto Rico officials, congressional Democrats, civic leaders and celebrities that he has compounded a slow federal response to the devastation in Puerto Rico with a personal insensitivity to the suffering.
During Trump’s visit here he sought to convey the confidence of a leader. Wearing a sport coat and a white collared shirt but no tie, the president waved at a crowd in the distance and pumped his fist when a group of VIPs mingling in a courtyard under the balcony noticed him. Then, Trump turned to chat with his hosts — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and his predecessor, Tim Finchem. Continue reading “Trump defies critics of his Puerto Rico response by conducting business as usual”