San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz told President Trump to “get out of the way” Tuesday — saying his opinion is not welcome in Puerto Rico — after he tweeted about Tropical Storm Dorian and the nation’s disaster relief spending.

“Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico,” Trump said. “Will it ever end? Congress approved 92 Billion Dollars for Puerto Rico last year, an all time record of its kind for ‘anywhere.'”

Cruz, a longtime critic of the president, responded to his comments during an appearance on CNN.

“The president continues to express lies because the truth really does not suit him,” Cruz said, calling Trump’s “92 Billion Dollar” claim false.

“We are not going to be concerned by his behavior, his lack of understanding,” she added. “It’s not $92 billion, it is close to $42 billion…and still, things have not worked appropriately.”

Trump fired off his tweet on Tuesday morning as Tropical Storm Dorian was barreling through the Caribbean and towards Puerto Rico. It was expected to reach the island nation by Wednesday — possibly as a Category 1 hurricane.

Many residents are still recovering from the widespread damage caused by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

Cruz has criticized Trump for his response to the 2017 storms, claiming his administration mishandled the recovery efforts. The president praised his team during the rebuild and condemned Cruz for displaying what he called “poor leadership.”



“I think Puerto Rico was incredibly successful,” Trump said last September. “I actually think it is one of the best jobs that’s ever been done with respect to what this is all about.”

Cruz and the president have repeatedly sparred on social media and in the press over how the recovery efforts were handled.

“It seems like some people have learned the lessons of the past or are willing to say that they didn’t do right by us the first time and they are trying to do their best,” Cruz said Tuesday night. “That is not the case with the president of the United States.”

Cruz added, “Three thousand Puerto Ricans did not open their eyes this morning because this racist man did not have it within him to do his job. So get out of the way President Trump and let the people that can do the job get the job done.”