The governor of Puerto Rico endorsed President Trump for reelection.
“I ask all Puerto Ricans who are listening to me that they need to vote,” Wanda Vázquez told Telemundo on Monday. “They need to vote, exercise the right to vote, and evaluate who will be a person who thinks about Puerto Ricans and their needs. At the moment, it is difficult.”
The interviewer asked Vázquez if she was referring to Trump, and she replied that she was.
The governor was also asked about the infamous scene where Trump threw paper towels into a crowd of those gathering to seek provisions after Hurricane Maria.
She said, “No one is perfect.”
The governor was supposed to campaign with the president in central Florida, but their event was canceled after the president tested positive for COVID-19.
On Sept. 18, the White House announced a $13 billion federal aid package to repair Puerto Rico’s electrical and educational infrastructure. Hurricane Maria happened three years ago, and some said the announcement’s proximity to the election is suspicious.
“While I certainly hope to see this money put to good use making Puerto Rico’s electrical system more resilient,” said New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez, “these delays are unacceptable, and it is insulting to Puerto Ricans everywhere that the Administration is so blatantly playing politics with this aid.”
When asked about this issue, Trump put the blame on Democrats and said, “We’ve been working on it for a long time.”
Vázquez took over as governor in July 2019 after Ricardo Rosselló resigned amid public protests, and the Puerto Rican supreme court ruled the next governor, Pedro Pierluisi, was sworn in unconstitutionally. She previously served as the island’s secretary of justice. In August, she lost her party’s primary for the position to Pierluisi. For now, she will remain in office.
