What do you do when you feel you're being pushed around and shown no respect? In Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello's case, you "punch the bully in the mouth."
And if you guessed he was talking about President Donald Trump, you'd be right.
Rossello made his "bully" comments to CNN Thursday. And he didn't pull any punches in South Florida Friday, when he said talk of fisticuffs "was a metaphor to ... stop unfair treatment, as if we were second-class citizens."
Tensions between Trump and Rossello have intensified because of the slow response by the federal government after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Rossello said Friday that he'd rather trade ideas than blows, but he won't allow his people to continue being "abused."
"My message to the president is very simple. Let's stop the insults and the attacks. We are not your political opponents. We are his American citizens."
Trump has complained that Puerto Rico is wasting the money it has already received, and that he "has taken care of Puerto Rico better than any other man."
Rossello said: "I wish we could say that, but the truth is that now Puerto Rico has many needs. All I can assume is that they are advising (Trump) wrong."
Before coming to Florida, Rossello was in Washington where he met with legislators as part of a new drive for statehood for Puerto Rico.
