When the completely inexperienced Donald Trump first proposed his bid for the presidency, a lot of his supporters insisted that having a businessman in the White House would be good for the economy. As it turns out, Trump has never been a good businessman and it’s not really helpful in a crisis when all the businessman thinks to do is sell properties he no longer wants.
Elaine Duke says Trump proposed selling Puerto Rico. Buy Greenland, sell Puerto Rico. 🤔 https://t.co/A8F1QnvGp2
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) July 11, 2020
When John Kelly, former chief of staff to President Trump, left the Department of Homeland Security, the acting director there became a woman named Elaine Duke. In an interview, Duke disclosed a number of startling revelations, but perhaps the most jaw-dropping one involved Trump trying to sell Puerto Rico because his response to the two hurricanes that ravished the island made him look bad.
According to The New York Times:
‘Among her most searing moments during the response to the hurricanes came when she heard Mr. Trump raise the possibility of “divesting” or “selling” Puerto Rico as the island struggled to recover.
‘“The president’s initial ideas were more of as a businessman, you know,” she recalled. “Can we outsource the electricity? Can we can we sell the island? You know, or divest of that asset?”’
I watched 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga' yesterday and it tangentially reminded me that Trump wanted to buy Greenland last year. https://t.co/o9zN4YXnTZ
— ه҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿҈̿Jon Fisher (@jonthepon) July 11, 2020
Puerto Rico is a United States territory and cannot be sold away anymore than Trump can buy Greeland, a proposal he made in 2019. The idea is particularly cruel because these American citizens were attempting to rebuild under devastating circumstances and the man in charge of their government wanted to sell them like an old junk car.
Fact: immediate response to Maria in Puerto Rico was less and slower than for Harvey in TX & Irma in FL. 3,000 Americans died. For almost a year, the gvt lied and told us it had been 64 deaths. It was not an “unsung success”. It was a mismanaged tragedy. https://t.co/X8VBRWdujL
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) September 13, 2018
Among other revelations in Duke’s interview include an “ambush” by Trump, Stephen Miller, and Jeff Sessions to force her to sign an order ending the DACA program. an experience that deeply unnerved her.
‘A lifelong Republican who describes herself as “a kid from the Cleveland, Ohio, area,” Ms. Duke said she supported tougher enforcement of immigration laws, as long as it was tempered by a sense of humanity that she tried to exhibit when she volunteered to teach naturalization classes. But she described an administration that is often driven by ideology instead of deliberation, values politics over policy and is dominated by a president who embraces “hate-filled, angry and divisive” language.’
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
