US President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at Puerto Rico politicians over their criticism of US relief efforts on the island following Hurricane Maria.

The Category 4 hurricane a week ago killed 16 people on the island and left millions in desperate need of food, water and other supplies.

In a series of tweets, Trump said that Puerto Rican officials showed “poor leadership ability” and “want everything to be done for them”.

It comes after the mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital city San Juan made a desperate plea for federal help.

“We have no time for patience any more,” said Carmen Yulin Cruz in a news conference. “I am asking the President of the US to make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives.

“I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell.”

Cruz, who is a member of the island’s Popular Democratic party, said that federal aid was coming in too slowly, blasting what she called a “bureaucratic bottleneck”.

She also criticized Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke for referring to the US response to the struggling Puerto Rico as a “good news story”.

“Maybe from where she’s standing it’s a good news story,” Cruz said. “When you’re drinking from a creek, it’s not a good news story. When you don’t have food for a baby, it’s not a good news story.”

Cruz also accused the Trump administration of “killing us with inefficiency”, which the President disputed in his early-morning Twitter tirade.

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

“10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.”

“The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump,” the President said in another tweet.

Trump also criticised the media, claiming that the “Fake News Networks” were disparaging the relief work of soldiers and the first responders on the island.

“Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to “get Trump.” Not fair to FR or effort!”, the President tweeted.

“The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R’s. Shame!,” Trump said in another tweet.