Donald Trump dedicates golf trophy to hurricane victims amid backlash over relief efforts

Donald Trump has dedicated a golf trophy to hurricane victims, including the people of Puerto Rico, amid backlash as much of the country has been left without drinking water after devastation from Hurricane Maria.

The president said on Sunday: "On behalf of all of the people of Texas, and all of the people - if you look today and see what is happening, how horrible it is but we have it under really great control - Puerto Rico and the people of Florida who have really suffered over this last short period of time with the hurricanes, I want to just remember them.

"And we're going to dedicate this trophy to all of those people that went through so much that we love - a part of our great state, really part of our great nation," he continued.

The president's administration has been heavily criticised as a majority of Puerto Rico's 3.4 million residents have been left without power or water.

The White House has defended its response, but officials in Puerto Rico have said the situation is turning into a humanitarian crisis.

Mr Trump has become embroiled in a high-profile feud with the San Juan mayor, as she pointed out he was tweeting instead of helping.

“Let him tweet,” said Carmen Yulin Cruz, speaking to The Telegraph while marshalling forklift trucks of aid inside a sports centre. “I don’t mind. I’m too busy.”

She paused for a second, turned and smiled.

“Plus I don’t have internet most of the time, so I can’t get hold of the tweets.”

On Friday she tearfully begged Washington to send more help, saying: you're killing us with inefficiency". 

Mr Trump hit back – claiming she had been told by Democrats in Washington to be “nasty to Trump”.

“Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help,” he tweeted on Saturday.

“They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort.”

After winning praise for his response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which stormed through Texas and Florida respectively, Mr Trump has been accused of neglecting Puerto Rico, home to 3.4 million Americans. 

It took until last Thursday, more than a week after Maria struck, for the administration to waive a law that banned foreign ships from delivering goods to Puerto Rico.

Almost half the population remains without potable water and no-one knows when the island’s electricity grid will be back online.

Meanwhile, the President has tweeted, accusing his critics of spreading "Fake News".

Hurricane Maria pummels the Caribbean, in pictures