Trump tweets that Puerto Rico made its own mess, and the U.S. can't stay there cleaning up indefinitely

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 12 October 2017

After threatening to cancel NBC's "license" up until late Wednesday (presidents can't do that, as an FCC commissioner noted), President Trump began Thursday on Twitter by appearing to tell Puerto Rico that its slow but steady federal relief effort after its worst hurricane in a century had a pending expiration date.

It isn't clear what prompted Trump's tweets about the U.S. territory, where 35 percent of residents still don't have drinking water and 10 percent have electricity. But on Thursday, the House will vote on a $36.5 billion emergency spending bill for the areas hit by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria that includes $5.05 billion in loans for Puerto Rico to cover immediate liquidity needs, plus $18.7 billion for FEMA, and $16 billion for the National Flood Insurance Program. That $16 billion, The Intercept notes, is essentially debt relief for homeowners who built in at-risk coastal areas.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.