ADVERTISEMENT
Story from Pop Culture
ADVERTISEMENT

From SNL To Kim K., The Rebukes For Trump’s Puerto Rico Tweets Sting

Sabrina Rojas Weiss
October 1, 2017, 4:00 PM
Photo: Will Heath/NBC.
Lin-Manuel Miranda certainly had the most rapid and headline-worthy response to Donald Trump's Twitter tirade against San Juan's mayor yesterday — "You're going straight to hell" — but by day's end, he was not alone. Celebrities, Saturday Night Live, and a lot of regular people had some words for the president after reading his criticism of Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz.
SNL's cold open took on the events of the day, which was quickly written into the sketch at the last minute before the show's season premiere.
"Sometimes when you’re president you have to make sacrifices, so I skipped the back nine," Alec Baldwin's Trump told Aidy Bryant's Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Later, when Cruz, played by Melissa Villaseñor, calls to ask for help, Trump responds, "We want to help you, but we have to take care of America first," and seems surprised to learn that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
While no one is really saying Trump was ignorant of this,there are plenty who think the president's slow response has to do with the fact that Puerto Rico is not important to him politically.
One of the most direct responses came from Michael Che during SNL's Weekend Update. "Oh, really, Donald, you bitch? Was she nasty to you? How nasty? Are you shaking?" he said, offering advice on simple hurricane-relief protocol: "You just did this for white people, twice. Do the same thing. Go tell Melania to put on her flood heels, get some bottled water, some food. Pack up some extra Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl T-shirts. And write them a check with our money, you cheap cracker."
On Facebook, Dan Rather wrote a lengthier critique of the president's "bumbling" response that is a must-read, saying, "It fails even the most basic test of humanity."
Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz made it clear that she has one goal.
Many took issue with the fact that Trump was tweeting his thoughts from his golf vacation.
Jennifer Lopez reposted an Instagram that juxtaposed Trump at the golf course with Cruz wading through floodwaters to help someone.
Kim Kardashian got in on that slam, writing, "They don’t have power to watch the news!!! Please stop tweeting & golfing while people are dying! Please step up & help!"
"Oh I see @realDonaldTrump you're not helping PR because of the electoral votes u need to be re-elected #Florida=29 #Texas=38 #PuertoRico=0," Gaga wrote.
A particularly offensive part of Trump's tirade was the notion that Puerto Ricans "want everything to be done for them."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Actor Kumail Nanjani pointed out, "He would never talk this way about a predominantly white community."
TV writer Jess Dweck cleverly juxtaposed that quote with a photo of the Trumps with their household staff.
Still others felt like all of this was just more of the same. Not that they're going to stop pointing this out.
Perhaps it was Ellen DeGeneres who had the best idea of what would really get Trump's goat in this situation: not mentioning him at all. Instead, she tweeted, ".@CarmenYulinCruz I see you, I hear you, I love you. You're a hero."
Read These Stories Next:
Where Are They Now: 15 Of Your Favorite Celebs From 15 Years Ago
The Best British Shows You Should Be Watching
The Best Part Of Snapchat? These Celebrities

More from Pop Culture

R29 Original Series

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT