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| "'Can we outsource the electricity? Can we can we sell the island? You know, or divest of that asset?'" Trump reportedly said, according to Duke in the newspaper interview.(Cutout Photo by= DoD / CC BY 2.0 ) |
[아시아뉴스통신=레악카나 기자] President Donald Trump considered the idea of selling Puerto Rico in 2017 after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria, the former acting Homeland Security secretary told The New York Times in an interview published Friday. "The President's initial ideas were more of a businessman, you know," Elaine Duke, who was serving as DHS' acting secretary when the hurricane hit the island in September 2017, told the Times.
She said the idea of selling Puerto Rico was never seriously considered or discussed after Mr. Trump raised it" the paper reported. Trump has had a fraught history with the US territory since Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria with nearly 3,000 people killed and widespread power outages. Trump previously accused Puerto Rican officials of spending some of the billion relief money for reasons other than hurricane clean-up. In November 2018, White House officials told congressional leaders and appropriators that the President did not want any additional relief funding sent to the island.
Trump consistently denied any fault for his administration in the aftermath of the storm. The President has instead sought praise for his handling of Hurricane Maria, calling it "an incredible, unsung success" last year.
