According to President Donald Trump, Puerto Rico has never had a better friend in the White House than him, because he’s “the best thing that ever happened” to the U.S. territory.
Trump made that knee-slapping assertion Friday during a press conference where he announced the administration had just authorized $11.6 billion in disaster aid to rebuilt the infrastructure on the island. Only problem is, the White House approved the funding three years after Hurricane Maria devastated the Puerto Rico.
.@realDonaldTrump’s lying is so deranged and pathological it is actually hilarious. https://t.co/8L03ntXgQD
— Spiro Agnew’s Ghost (@SpiroAgnewGhost) September 18, 2020
Why the sudden love toward Puerto Rico? Simple. Trump is nervous that he’s going to lose the state of Florida to Joe Biden and knows no Republican has ever won the presidency without carrying the Sunshine State since Calvin Coolidge nearly a 100 years ago in the 1924 election.
And let’s not forget that Trump reportedly wanted to sell Puerto Rico or swap it for Greenland. That tells you exactly how much of a “best thing” he is when it comes to the island.
Twitter quickly lit up with mockery and ridicule:
Pretty consistent with Trump Administration (with GOP blessing) blocking crucial disaster aide for Puerto Rico for years right up until they‘re able to flaunt it two months before a national election https://t.co/WR96zCxeyz
— Roberto Aram Ferdman (@robferdman) September 18, 2020
Trump claims: “I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to Puerto Rico.”
Trump personally blocked disaster aid to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 18, 2020
“I’m the best thing that has ever happened to Puerto Rico” says Trump, who:
– Responded too late to Puerto Rico’s disaster needs; thousands died there.
– Tossed paper towels to a crowd during his only appearance there.
– Pondered “trading” Puerto Rico for Greenland.— Tim O’Brien (@TimOBrien) September 18, 2020
He also threatened to veto a $4.7 billion emergency aid package intended to help Puerto Rico recover from a series of damaging earthquakes. https://t.co/CT2PZimW5G
— Tim O’Brien (@TimOBrien) September 18, 2020
This is the kind of thing Trump has said a bunch about aid to Puerto Rico before today. (And that dollar figure was not even close to correct.) pic.twitter.com/mE4nAJLjqq
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) September 18, 2020
As a puertorican born on the island, I truly hope by puertorican brothers and sisters do not believe this fool.
— Roberto Rodriguez (@ramsyanksfan) September 18, 2020
Is that why Dem allocated $40M for Puerto Rico since Maria that Trump refused to release, including $20 MILLION aid package after February earthquakes- which Republicans refused to vote for and Trump threatened to veto? https://t.co/Jq0AdsB7fo
— Jeanette Mask Up! Protect Against the Trump Virus (@Deja_Great) September 18, 2020
We can stack this latest lie atop the already massive Tower of Trumpian Babel that reaches to the moon and and beyond. Hell, he probably won’t even bother to give Puerto Rico any paper towels this time unless they agree to pay in advance.