Trump praises Puerto Rico's governor for ‘not playing politics’ in front of San Juan's unimpressed mayor

San Juan's mayor didn't clap during a meeting in Puerto Rico where the President repeatedly praised disaster relief on the island

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend a meeting with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello (Getty)

Donald Trump has taken a veiled jab at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz during his trip to Puerto Rico, praising the governor of the island for not “playing politics”.

“I just want to tell you that right from the beginning this governor was not playing politics,” Mr Trump said of Ricardo Rosselló during a meeting with local and federal officials in an airplane hangar. “He was giving us the highest grades.”

The President praised recovery efforts in Puerto Rico several times, gleaning applause from the group. But, Ms Yulín Cruz notably did not applaud.— and his praise of the governor appeared to be meant as a slight to her, since they had sparred recently over relief.

Mr Trump went after Ms Yulín Cruz over the weekend after she criticised his White House’s response to the crisis in her city, and on her island. He accused her of “poor leadership”, and said that residents on the island want everything to be done for them.

The President appeared to mount those attacks because Ms Yulín Cruz had previously said that the people in her city were desperate for aide after Hurricane Maria hit, leaving most of the island without power and devastating homes and infrastructure. At one point, she literally begged Mr Trump on television to help.

After his attacks on Twitter — which sparked a firestorm online — Ms Yulín Cruz insisted that she hadn’t attacked him.

“I was asking for help,” she said during an appearance on MSNBC. “I wasn’t saying anything nasty about the President.”

The two met after Mr Trump landed in Puerto Rico Tuesday, and exchanged words briefly. It wasn’t clear what they said to one another.

Mr Trump is expected to take a helicopter tour of Puerto Rico to see the devastation there, and held a meet and greet with Puerto Ricans where he handed out bags of rice and paper towels.