Skip to content

Donald Trump on Puerto Rico Statehood, U.S. Citizenship for Puerto Ricans

Is Donald Trump, the most colorful of the candidates in the 2016 Presidential race, in favor of statehood for Puerto Rico?

He might favor statehood for D.C. The Washington Post shared a transcript of Trump’s Meet the Press interview in which the following question was asked:

Residents of the District of Columbia currently pay federal taxes but have only a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives, no representation in the Senate. Should that policy continue as is? Should D.C. become a state? Should it not have to pay taxes? Should it be treated like Puerto Rico?

Trump suggested that he might have a conflict of interest, since he’s building a hotel in the nation’s capital. The interviewer pressed for an answer, and Trump said, “I would like to do whatever is good for the District of Columbia because I love the people.”

This is not actually so far from what many policy makers have said about Puerto Rico.

There have not been any reliable reports of Trump’s position on statehood for Puerto Rico – or whether the presidential candidate has even thought about it. Right now, it’s all conjecture.

Read here for Donald Trump’s statement on Puerto Rico’s Debt; Read more here about Donald Trump as “The King of Debt”

In the meantime, press reports are filling the news void largely with satire.

The Huffington Post wrote, in an article clearly labeled “This is satire,” that Trump planned to buy Puerto Rico. The Mideast Beast, in an obviously satirical article which was not so labeled and which has been cited in serious articles since, said that Trump proposed granting the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico to the Palestinians as compensation for surrendering claims to Israel.

NoticiasPRTV filed a report that Trump had announced his intention of revoking the U.S. citizenship of all Puerto Ricans, but that report has not been confirmed.

For more recent reports on Donald Trump:

 

 

50 thoughts on “Donald Trump on Puerto Rico Statehood, U.S. Citizenship for Puerto Ricans”

  1. I don’t like Donald Trump idea for Puerto Ricat all though he was a better person than what he show,one thing the Island is not for sale, or to give away.n to take away our citizenship, That’s evil.if this case I rebuke him n take him out of my list. That should be addressed to him.what is his plan for P.R., there is a reason to have P.R. in such high debt.

    1. Trump has said nothing of the sort about Puerto Rico. This is all fiction and speculation.
      Trump knows PR better than that. He has golf courses and property there.

      If Trump surprises with a statehood endorsement, it’ll shut critics who say Trump opposes all hispanics. (TRUMP HAS ACTUALLY SPOKEN AGAINST ILLEGALS,NOT AMERICAN HISPANICS.THE MSM & UNIVISION REFUSES TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.)

        1. You Independistas never cease. You chased the Navy out when they were providing thousands of jobs. It’s yourselves that are causing your own bankruptcy. Most of you take education with a grain of salt. That’s why you are losing your professionals who prefer to live, work and raise their children in the US. These are good Puerto Ricans who are good Americans. Therefore, what real human assets are left on the island to make it prosper? Only porquerias like crooked politicians, drug addicts, criminals, bums, thieves and prostitutes. No wonder your truism has dropped. Because of your own doing you have the highest crime and murder rate in the nation. I hope you get your independence. It will sure save the US tax payer billions of dollars that are spent on your family cards and welfare. In the meantime, we’ll keep your educated and hard working Puerto Ricans for ourselves, who have migrated to our shores and who will help to continue making our Nation great. Now, that is well said. Adios Puerto Rico!

          1. Felix bettencourt

            Incorporate the island, eliminate Fomenti and get the IRS in and stop treating the island like a foreign entity and allow interstate commerce.. We are proud Americans for Christ sake. Thanks to congress we are the money laundering capital of the US

  2. Luis, I personally would not be surprised if Trump privately supports statehood.

    My belief is that if he did say what he is rumored to have said about US citizenship for Puerto Ricans it most definitely would have been reported by CNN, FOX News, and other big sources. My guess is that Latin American media wrong assumed that Puerto Ricans receive US citizenship via the 14th Amendment and ran with “Trump wants to take away US citizenship from Puerto Ricans”.

  3. You surely came to this country to get your green card and abuse the welfare system like you all do, so you can send money to your country. That is why you all come here.

    Do you know that Trump visits Puerto Rico very often to play golf, and do you know that he has a Hotel in Puerto Rico?

    Music to your ears because of your envy. Because we can come to this country whenever we want, even with our pets, while you wet your ass to come to beg the welfare system to help you help your family in your country while you work on the side. I know a lot of you, since I worked with kids from every country for a long time.

    1. Are you aware that Puerto Rico is a US territory? Like when you say “back to their country” you know that’s the USA right? You know they use USD right? And pay federal taxes?

    2. You also forget that Puerto Rican are fighting to keep your freedom a the constitution working and before you make comments like this I will suggest to you to learn more about us and about the green card comment that shows how ignorant you are.

    3. why say so manny thins its to the pepole of puerto rico to decide not donold trompa in my viwe let spain re take puerto rico and usa out of it and by the way donold trumpa dos not own golf cours in puerto rico ariva pip

  4. This is ridiculous. Trump wants to revoke the US citizenship of all Puerto Ricans? Then he’ll be taking my grandmother and my mother away. I also heard on another site that he wants to “build a wall” around PR (it’s a freaking island) but then you’d be cutting off ties to many families in Puerto Rico. This joke of keeping Trump on high, this has got to stop. This is getting real, and it is NOT looking good for anyone but racists and theophobits. (sorry if i sound biased because, well, I am.) (PR Pride)

    1. So am I and I still have family on the island
      Trump is a disaster train coming! I am hoping and praying all see Cruz as our answer to protect
      The rights of all no matter what! As long your
      An American! And we Puerto Ricans are American!

    2. Don’t even worry about it bro that’s white trash talking shit trying to get under your skin. A president can do anything without the approval of congress and that includes going to war. And they wouldn’t allow such a thing. Plus this clown cant beat Hillary in the General election with a baseball bat. Hillary has well over 600,000 votes more that the clown does.

  5. To the idiot that said that Puerto Ricans come to the states for a green card, do your homework and learn that Puerto Ricans never stepped foot on Ellis island!!! We don’t need green cards and never will. We came here in 1917 to fight at your side in WW1, WW2, Korean War and all the rest of them to help your sorry asses!!!! We are born AMERICAN CITIZENS!!! Asshole!!!!!! Go do your homework!!!!!! And I’m American born Puerto Rican and went to college and a DOCTOR!!!!!

    1. Thanks for your comment, I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn and PR. Though mostly in Brooklyn. I never collected a welfare check and never signed up for unemployment. My Puerto Rican pride wouldn’t allow me to, there’s something very wrong to me about accepting defeat.

      Naturally I do not object “Help” to be given to those who truly need it, I’m just one of those who have to have body parts missing in order to go through that extreme. (smile)

  6. Just like other poor states in the US (Mississippi, Arkansas and west virginia) where welfare is abused. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to pa where I graduated with a double degree. I work and don’t abuse the system myself however I do see a lot of people that do both here and in Puerto Rico. There are a lot of financial problems the island is facing which could be fixed by taking a hard stance with things that need to be done and by clearing all the corruption in the government and the police force. All the satire (fake/humorous) reports about trump doing this and that make me laugh and you people that actually believe this. Trump is only runnin so we’re happy with whoever else the system picks, think about it. Puerto Rico is a project and it’s gonna take time but I would be one of the first ones down there if things started improving.

  7. Thrump will never be president so why is everyone so hype about his rhetorics and childish manners.he is a neurotic self love person that seek attention to satisfy his ego.dont be fool,thrump does not care about anyone,he seeks attention to show off how smart and rich he is and if anyone challenge him he will take it personal and insults begins like a sour looser.would you like to have a president in a nuclear decision with his finger on the button? “Not today,I don’t think so.my people think,study,Analyze your candidate but surely thrump will never be president.

    1. Well said
      Im puerto rican too and my vote is for trump
      .
      This country needs a strong attitude and make good trades..with otjer coutries and bring jobs back

  8. I am also proud of my P.R heritage. But, lets remember that Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico once belonged to Mexico and was taken from the Mexican people so, don’t hate them because they are here and deservingly so.

    1. What all of the people posting things about Puerto Rico are forgetting is that no President or congressman will make the island a state nor would they want to. I see them wanting Puerto Rico to break away from its current status and become independent. If indeed that’s the case, then if I were the Governor of Puerto Rico I would invite the leaders from other countries ( yes including Russia ) to invest in the island and become trade partners. That’s the only way to save the island. We cannot let the people living in the island to die. That’s what the islanders get for voting for Rosello as its governor. He made promises that he could never make a reality. He sold out the islanders and they were ignorant to that fact. He promised them statehood when he knew he could not make such a promise. He played them for fools and now they will be led down the same path by his son.

    2. Right on the dot. The USA stole from them and the main reason we have them here as “illegals” is their laziness. You will se millions of “americans” picking up aluminim cans and with signs that say say will work for food, but not too many actually looking for jobs. Wepa, viva PR, Boriken libre

  9. Im puertorican and believe Trump can give Puerto Rico what it really needs. Stop the plebiscite give them no option but Independence. For several reasons 1. Being that Puerto rico is being passively invaded by Dominicans who are presemtly 1/3 of the whole island once the reach 50% they will then shift the political power and dictate puerto ricos future for it. Puertoricans went from 90% of their produce consumption being home grown in the 1960s to less than 10% coming from the island and 90% import which accounts for their debt.. theyve become lazy theres an untapped 10 billion dollar agricultural industry because they think they’re too
    good to work for their island creating a welfare state thats made up of almost 38% of the island on welfare half who arent even u.s citizens nor of puertorican descent. Cut the cord and Let Puerto rico learn the basics of micro managing a country.

  10. Funny you say Dominicans are invading Puerto Rico. You might want to refresh your research. I’m not going to go back and forth. But to keep yourself from looking dumb, re-educate yourself on Dominican Republic’s economy.

  11. It never fails to amaze me how ignorant Puerto rican can be! I’m prican and it’s quite embarrassing that most of tou do not know what satire means and can’t tell the difference on what Trump said or didn’t say. Easily manipulated and believe everything you hear. Trump never ever said he was gonna revoke citizenships or build a wall around PR ( the person that commented that wins idiot of the year). The truth is Trump is not bought by lobbying and that’s good news because only then he can repeal the merchant marine law. Scince he doesn’t owe them favors (triamerica corp) which by the way already funded Bernie and Hillary campaign. I just wish the puertorican would really educate themselves and stop relying on biast trump hating univision and Facebook for news. At the end… what Trump has said is true. And Mexican_ illegal_ immigration affects puerto ricans in particular. I mean if a boss had 2 Spanish speaking workers and he could pay the Mexican less why on earth he would hire you???! Ricans lose many jobs to mexicans. Wake up. I’m a puerto rican that wants the best for my island and as far as now democracy jas done nothing but make welfare and cupones not jobs! Despierten! Si sobrevivimos Obama porque no darle oportunidad a trump.

      1. They do! They are now 5 -6 american citizen generation more americans than most politicians in dc. Ask marco ribio, obama and even trump about their personal american generation…

      2. Cynthia,
        Who doesn’t belong here? The people of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens just like you, (i am assuming you are a citizen of the U.S.). They have just as much right to live there as you do, like it or not. Maybe you should go back to the country you or your relatives came from.

  12. I’m Puertoican, and Donald Trump is a racist Pig! He needs to leave Puertoricans and their island alone!He says Puerto Rican people are another Mexicans, uh NO! THEYRE NOT! I AM PROBABLY THE YOUNGEST PERSON MAKING THIS COMMENT TOO, AND I THINK DONALD TRUMP IS A CRAZY OLD RACIST GUY WHO DOESN’T KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING! DONT FALL FOR HIS TRICKS PEOPLE THAT ARE READING THIS, HE ALREADY TOOK OVER FLORIDA, OR IS TRYING TO, I DONT KNOW BUT, WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT! SO, THIS IS MY CALL OUT: DONALD TRUMP IS A RACIST OLD GUY WHO GETS MONEY FOR TRICKING PEOPLE! HE TRIES TO BRAINWASH US, NOT MANY AMERICANS VOTE FOR HIS RACIST PLAN, AND I SAY WE NEED TO STOP TRUMP! #STOPDONALDTRUMP My Mind Has Now Been Spoken.And Everyone around the world hates Donald Trump, and for the people that vote Trump are literally COMPLETELY WRONG! DONT FALL FOR HIS STUPID IDIOTC TRICS! ALSO, TRUMP NEEDS TO LEAVE PUERTO RICAN PEOPLE ALONE AND STOP TRYING TO SEND US BACK TO OUR ISLAD! WHO’S WITH ME!? WE NEED TO STOP TRUMP! #STOPDONALDTRUMP

  13. Why are some of you guys so afraid to the statehood yes/no vote- if some of you hate so much the US- become independent nation without any handout from the US.
    Trump did NOT send Maria to destroy us or Earthquakes for that matter – he doesn’t trust our politicians and government of this Mickey Mouse status, because they a bunch of thieves for generations

    1. The people here can’t agree on statehood because they haven’t found a leader who can HONESTLY present the pros and cons in a bi-partisan format.
      The government here is corrupt no doubt, but probably no more so than some states the US. It is more obvious here because it is a much smaller area than the entire US.
      You should check your sources as to who is supporting who. Puerto Rico pays more to the US than ANY state for the privilege of being classified as a territory.

Leave a Reply

Subscribe to our Magazine, and enjoy exclusive benefits

Subscribe to the online magazine and enjoy exclusive benefits and premiums.

[wpforms id=”133″]