THE BUCK ALWAYS STOPS ELSEWHERE WITH HIM:

The message followed a series of tweets on Saturday lashing out at Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, accusing her of "such poor leadership ability" in not getting people on the ground to help.

It was a direct response to her emotional news conference Friday night, in which she begged the president for more help. "We are dying here," Cruz said, slamming down two thick binders of documentation that San Juan had provided to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to obtain help.

In another world, Cruz's frustration with the layers of bureaucracy standing between her wiped-out city and food and water delivery might have been in line with Trump's own interest in cutting regulations and red tape.

The props she used were similar to charts Trump has wielded at news conferences to demonstrate how obtuse the country's permitting and regulatory process can be. But Cruz's plea was interpreted by Trump as a personal insult.

"I am asking the president of the United States to make sure somebody is in charge, that is up to the task of saving lives," she said. "If anybody out there is listening to us, we are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency."

On Twitter, Trump noted that Cruz had been "very complimentary" to him in the past. "They want everything to be done for them," he complained, "when it should be a community effort."

To longtime Trump watchers, Trump's personal reaction to Cruz was par for the course. Last weekend, he revoked an invitation for NBA star Stephen Curry to visit the White House with his team after Curry slighted him by saying he did not want the team to make the trip.

From the perch of the presidency, he has gone after morning show hosts such as Mika Brzezinski; lawmakers from his own party, such as Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain; and members of his own Cabinet -- most notably, Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He has even taken on the NFL.

Trump's criticism of Cruz was in line with how he has reacted for years to individuals who have criticized him personally.

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