Trump Says “No” to Puerto Rico Statehood | God's World News

Trump Says “No” to Puerto Rico Statehood

09/26/2018
  • AP18264024166733
    (AP Photo: People gather in Washington, DC, Thursday, September 20, 2018, during a vigil commemorating the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria.)

President Donald Trump declares himself an “absolute no” on statehood for Puerto Rico—as long as critics like San Juan’s mayor remain in office.

Trump blasted San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, a critic of his administration’s response to hurricanes on the island last year, during a recent radio interview. “With the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldn’t be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what they’re doing,” Trump said.

Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rossello says Trump’s remarks trivialize the statehood process. “The president said he is not in favor of statehood for the people of Puerto Rico based on a personal feud with a local mayor. This is an insensitive, disrespectful comment to over 3 million Americans who live in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.”

Trump’s position on statehood puts him at odds with the Republican Party’s 2016 platform, which declared support for Puerto Rico’s statehood.

The president’s remarks followed his claims earlier this month that the official death toll from last year’s devastating storm in Puerto Rico was inflated. Public health experts have estimated that nearly 3,000 people died because of Hurricane Maria due to delayed or inaccessible health care in the months following the storm.

Puerto Rico’s statehood divides island residents. For decades, some Puerto Ricans have favored statehood and others have wanted to maintain the commonwealth relationship with the United States, perhaps with some changes. A minority favor independence.

The U.S. government has said it would accept a change in the status of Puerto Rico if the people of the island clearly support the decision.

The last referendum, in 2017, strongly supported statehood. But opponents question the vote because of low turnout.

What do you think about statehood for Puerto Rico?

(AP Photo: People gather in Washington, DC, Thursday, September 20, 2018, during a vigil commemorating the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria.)