Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and member of the USA Today board of contributors. Follow him on Twitter @RaulAReyes . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) What did Puerto Rico ever do to Donald Trump? On Thursday morning, the tweeter in chief struck again, and it wasn't pretty. It showed a shocking lack of compassion, if not outright heartlessness toward the Americans suffering on the island.

Around 6:50 a.m., Trump tweeted, "Puerto Rico survived the hurricanes, now a financial crisis looms largely of their own making, says Sharyl Attkisson." Attkisson is a journalist with a show on the Sinclair Broadcast Group, but that is beside the point.

"Puerto Rico survived the Hurricanes, now a financial crisis looms largely of their own making." says Sharyl Attkisson. A total lack of.....

In another tweet Thursday morning, Trump decried the "lack of accountability" and noted that the island's infrastructure was "a disaster" before the hurricane.

...accountability say the Governor. Electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes. Congress to decide how much to spend....

He seemed to be attempting to quote the governor, while at the same time absolving himself of accountability for this crisis.

But let's be clear: If there is a "lack of accountability," Trump should fix it, by ordering the Department of Homeland of Security (which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to remedy the situation. And mentioning that Puerto Rico's infrastructure was in bad shape before Hurricane Maria sure seems like a way to deflect blame for conditions now.

The President's next tweet about the Puerto Rico crisis was the worst: "We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!"

...We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2017

Consider what Trump is saying here: This crisis is far from over -- and the federal response has been by many accounts inadequate -- yet he is already thinking about the time when the government moves on and leaves Puerto Ricans to fend for themselves.

Coming from our chief executive, the President of all Americans -- including the 3.4 million citizens in Puerto Rico -- this mindset is shocking,

Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean An apartment building is missing a wall in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Monday, September 25, nearly a week after Hurricane Maria devastated the US commonwealth. Power is still out in most places, and communications remain almost nonexistent on the island of 3.4 million people. Hide Caption 1 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Yancy Leon rests at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport near San Juan on September 25. She's been waiting in line for two days to get a flight out. Hide Caption 2 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean An aerial view shows the flooding in San Juan on September 25. Hide Caption 3 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean People collect water from a natural spring created by landslides in Corozal, Puerto Rico, on Sunday, September 24. Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said the island faces a humanitarian crisis. Hide Caption 4 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean An aerial view shows a flooded neighborhood in Catano, Puerto Rico, on Friday, September 22. Hide Caption 5 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A man cleans a muddy street in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on September 22. Hide Caption 6 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A man walks on a highway divider while carrying his bicycle through San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Thursday, September 21. Hide Caption 7 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A shack is destroyed in San Juan on September 21. Hide Caption 8 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A gas station's sign is damaged in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, as the hurricane passed just north of the country on September 21. Hide Caption 9 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Rescue workers drive through a flooded road in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday, September 20. Hide Caption 10 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A mattress that fell from the third floor is surrounded by debris outside a San Juan apartment complex on September 20. Hide Caption 11 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Damage is seen in Roseau, Dominica, on September 20. Hide Caption 12 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean People walk through the destruction in Roseau on September 20. Hide Caption 13 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean San Juan is shrouded in darkness after the hurricane knocked out power to the entire island of Puerto Rico. Hide Caption 14 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Power lines are scattered across a road in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on September 20. Hide Caption 15 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Residents move aluminum panels from an intersection in Humacao on September 20. Hide Caption 16 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Rescue vehicles are trapped under an awning in Humacao on September 20. Hide Caption 17 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Trees are toppled outside the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan on September 20. Hide Caption 18 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Members of a rescue team embrace as they wait to help in Humacao on September 20. Hide Caption 19 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A tree is damaged in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on September 20. Hide Caption 20 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Debris is strewn across a Fajardo street on September 20. Hide Caption 21 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A woman closes her property in Naguabo, Puerto Rico, hours before Maria's arrival. Hide Caption 22 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean People take shelter at Puerto Rico's Humacao Arena on Tuesday, September 19. Hide Caption 23 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Two girls play on cots at the Humacao Arena. Hide Caption 24 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Waves crash in San Juan as the hurricane neared Puerto Rico on September 19. Hide Caption 25 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean People pray in Humacao on September 19. Hide Caption 26 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A street is flooded in Pointe-a-Pitre, on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, on September 19. Hide Caption 27 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean People stand near debris at a restaurant in Le Carbet, Martinique, on September 19. Hide Caption 28 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean People in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, board up windows of a business on September 19. Hide Caption 29 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A boat is overturned off the shore of Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe, on September 19. Hide Caption 30 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Cars line up at a gas station in San Juan on September 19. Hide Caption 31 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean A motorist drives on the flooded waterfront in Fort-de-France, Martinique, on September 19. Hide Caption 32 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Floodwaters surround cars in Pointe-a-Pitre on September 19. Hide Caption 33 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Soldiers patrol a street in Marigot, St. Martin, as preparations were made for Maria on September 19. Hide Caption 34 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean People buy provisions in Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, as the hurricane approached on Monday, September 18. Hide Caption 35 of 36 Photos: Hurricane Maria slams the Caribbean Customers wait in line for power generators at a store in San Juan on September 18. Hide Caption 36 of 36

No one is asking for FEMA and first responders to stay in Puerto Rico forever. People on the island would love nothing more than to be able to resume their normal lives. This insensitive tweet harks back to another, when the President said that Puerto Ricans "want everything to be done for them."

For Trump to signal that the danger in Puerto Rico is largely past bespeaks a dangerous level of complacency.

The Center for Investigative Journalism reports that bodies are piling up at the morgues of the hospitals on the island. Medical experts are worrying about the outbreak of disease in the US commonwealth. It is incomprehensible that Trump is already speaking of this catastrophic event as if it were in the rearview mirror. Actually, we do not yet know the full scope of the devastation of Maria.

Still, Trump appears ready to pivot away from this national disaster and back to the island's ongoing financial crisis. Puerto Rico was in the midst of a complicated fiscal restructuring before Maria -- but now is the time to help our fellow citizens, not blame them for supposed financial irresponsibility. Trump's comments are inconsistent with what his vice president recently said: Mike Pence pledged to help Puerto Ricans "every step of the way" in their recovery

JUST WATCHED 'Hamilton' creator: Make noise for Puerto Rico Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH 'Hamilton' creator: Make noise for Puerto Rico 01:50

On Wednesday, The New York Times described the "dire condition" of health care on the island, noting "many sick people across the island remain in mortal peril." Nearly 85% of the island lacks electricity, and 36% is without running water. This is real life on the island, and Trump wants to discuss who owes what to whom?

For the record, despite what the President may believe, the fiscal crisis was not "of their own making." The truth is far more complicated , involving US hedge funds and banks, population trends, US government regulations and other issues.

Thursday's tweets are another sad example of the President's indifference to the suffering in Puerto Rico. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey hitting South Texas, Trump publicly pledged $1 million of his own money to the relief effort. Puerto Rico? Nothing so far, unless you count a visit in which he lobbed paper towels at a crowd as if he were competing in an amateur basketball competition. BuzzFeed reports that the town he visited, Guaynabo, still lacks electricity and drinking water, one week later.

These tweets represent a disturbing lack of empathy. He attacked the mayor of San Juan for daring to criticize the federal government response. While Puerto Ricans have been recovering bodies and sweeping away debris, he has spent the last three weekends golfing. Though Trump wants billions for his unnecessary border wall, he seems resentful of having the country invest in Puerto Rico's full recovery.

At a time when many Americans want to help Puerto Rico , the President has not even tweeted out links to charities or organizations providing aid. Moreover, by repeatedly talking about how "great" the recovery efforts are going, Trump is painting a false picture of what is really happening on the island.

It is hard to fathom why Trump does not deem our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico worthy of our help. His response has been a national disgrace.