Trump mulled providing Puerto Rico, previous aide says
President TrumpDonald John TrumpDeSantis on Florida faculties reopening: ‘If you can do Walmart,’ then ‘we certainly can do schools’ NYT editorial board phone calls for the reopening of universities with aid from federal government’s ‘checkbook’ Mueller pens WaPo op-ed: Roger Stone ‘remains a convicted felon, and rightly so’ Additional mulled marketing Puerto Rico as the territory struggled in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017, previous performing Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke
Elaine Costanzo DukeChad Wolf will become performing DHS secretary Senate paves way for Trump’s up coming DHS chief Five issues to observe at Supreme Court’s DACA hearings More instructed The New York Moments.
Duke, who served in the position for 4 months, explained to the Periods on Friday that she was stunned when the president raised the suggestion of “divesting” or “selling” Puerto Rico.
“The president’s initial suggestions have been a lot more of as a businessman, you know,” she claimed. “Can we outsource the electrical energy? Can we … market the island? You know, or divest of that asset?”
The newspaper observed that Duke claimed the concept of offering of Puerto Rico was “never very seriously regarded or discussed” after Trump proposed it.
Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, leading to nearly 3,000 deaths similar to the storm or its aftereffects, including monthslong ability outages.
Trump and Puerto Rican officers blamed each individual other amid the island’s restoration, with the president faulting local officials for their administration of aid cash. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz criticized the administration for the delay in federal response to hurricane restoration, prompting the president to goal Cruz in quite a few tweets, and phone her “incompetent.”
White Residence officials advised congressional leaders and appropriators not to give any much more funds to Puerto Rico in November 2018, CNN mentioned.
The Washington Article described a aid fund of $17 billion was launched in January with challenging limits. Administration officers attributed the hold off to corruption problems, but critics stated the postponement was political.
Duke, who replaced John Kelly
John Francis KellyMORE when he was appointed as White Dwelling main of team, is just one of quite a few former administration officials who have spoken out in recent months.
In her Moments interview, she also accused Trump of becoming paranoid of “deep state” plots and working with “hate-filled, offended and divisive” language.
Duke explained she is not completely ready to dedicate to voting for Trump, telling the newspaper: “That’s a really tricky concern. But presented the possibilities, I do not know still.”
White Home spokesman Judd Deere responded to Duke’s job interview by expressing the president “has in no way wavered in his greatest obligation to the American people: their security and protection.”
“Not a one human being can dispute that President Trump has held his guarantee to the American individuals to lessen unlawful immigration, safe the border, reduced the crime fee, and manage regulation and purchase,” he said.
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