Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who has clashed with President Donald Trump over disaster aid and has complained that residents of the U.S. territory are treated like "second-class citizens," indicated that he's tired of being pushed around by the White House.
"If the bully gets close, I'll punch the bully in the mouth," Rossello told CNN. "It would be a mistake to confuse courtesy with courage."
The comments escalate a war of the words between Trump and Rossello, who is pushing to keep disaster aid flowing to repair the devastation brought by Hurricane Maria in late 2017. During a private lunch with Republican U.S. senators on Tuesday, Trump said Puerto Rico has received too much money and pushed back against providing more, according to those present. He'd also previously suggested that the aid was being diverted to pay bondholders, which isn't the case.