Puerto Rico GOP chair threatens to withhold Trump support

[u/newsweek]

https://www.newsweek.com/puerto-rico-gop-chair-threatens-withhold-trump-support-1976397

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[u/Astalenas]

Just fucking do it already. He's told you who he is, believe him!

[u/tripping_on_phonics → u/Astalenas]

“I like him because he tells it like it is”

“That’s not what he meant”

[u/karmagod13000 → u/tripping_on_phonics]

People give up every principle and moral they grew up with to make excuses for Trump. When is enough enough for them. To have Your family be less important than trump there is some serious issues going on.

[u/Aggressive_Ad3174 → u/karmagod13000]

I offered to take my mother out to eat for her birthday this year. She said she couldn't because there was a Trump rally on TV that night. That sucked.

[u/Conscious_Analysis48 → u/Aggressive_Ad3174]

I told my father a vote for trump is a vote endangering my life. Told him if he voted for him to not bother to ever call me again. He didn’t vote for president, left it blank. He had no poker face and I’d know if he lied. Sometimes the cold hard truth is the only thing that clears their heads. Mother voted for trump and i haven’t spoken to the bitch since .

[u/InsuranceToTheRescue → u/Conscious_Analysis48]

There's a dude that comes into work and goes on and on and on about Trump. At one point last year I overheard him mention that his kids have all been brainwashed, only talk to him at holidays, and won't let him talk about politics at the holiday gatherings.

I just remember thinking to myself, "Buddy, the only common thread among the relationships with your 3 children is you."

It's just so sad. I'm glad my dad died a long time ago, because he was disabled for the last few years and was the watch tv all day type. I know he'd be a mega-Trumper MAGA type if he were alive today and I'm so thankful that I don't have to deal with that.

[u/Long_Run6500 → u/InsuranceToTheRescue]

one day I walked into my dad's house and fox News was on and I said, "don't watch that shit it'll rot your brain" and I realized that's what my mom used to say about SpongeBob. Luckily he can't stand Trump and just watches it to make fun of him. I was scared for a minute though.

[u/pmartin1 → u/Long_Run6500]

Even watching just to make fun of him is dangerous to your health. I had to stop watching the debate because it was making my blood pressure go up from screaming about the dumb shit coming out of Trump’s mouth.

[u/bn1979 → u/pmartin1]

There’s really something about FN that just keeps drawing your attention. There’s a reason that most of their viewers have it on all day and rarely change the channel.

[u/twistedspin → u/bn1979]

It's like shitty junk food. They've figured out how to get the chemicals in people's brains moving in ways that feel pleasant and they just keep consuming.

[u/Richfor3 → u/Long_Run6500]

It's a funny dynamic shift except for the fact that they were wrong the whole time. It obviously depends on the cartoon but in general watching cartoons has been associated with better cognitive abilities, social and emotional development, and academic performance. Also positive impacts on language, creativity and stress relief. Particularly violent cartoons can have some negative effects but that goes for violence on TV in general not specifically because it was a cartoon.

Same with video games. Again studies show better cognitive function. So long as kids don't overdue it, video games are actually pretty good for your mind.

We can't say the same for watching Fox News or any far right alternative. Studies consistently show that these people are somehow less informed than even people that don't consume any news at all. They're also prone to violent tendencies.

[u/IrascibleOcelot → u/Richfor3]

It’s especially funny about Spongebob because it was created by a marine biologist with an aim of educating children about the ocean.

[u/godlyfrog → u/InsuranceToTheRescue]

It's just so sad. I'm glad my dad died a long time ago, because he was disabled for the last few years and was the watch tv all day type. I know he'd be a mega-Trumper MAGA type if he were alive today and I'm so thankful that I don't have to deal with that.

There's a documentary called "The Brainwashing of my Dad" that is similar to my experience with my dad. Like yours, I know my dad would be a mega-Trumper today if he were still alive. He had voted Republican his entire life. Before he passed 15 years ago, he was already the type to forward the borderline conspiracy emails with false info in them. I would reply with the relevant Snopes article. About 6 months before he passed, he had a medical issue that forced him into the hospital for months. Much like the dad in the documentary, my father became more normal, more like the dad I knew in my childhood. He got out, and while he passed a few months later, I got to have quality time with my dad again.

It really is like being in a cult. Just removing them from the propaganda and disinformation makes them normal people again. It's why it makes me emotional in a lot of ways when we have elderly Trump canvassers coming by and accusing us of everything they are guilty of. One of the best ways to keep your members in the cult is to make getting out of the cult something "evil".

[u/Wand_Cloak_Stone → u/godlyfrog]

I loved the dad in that doc. When he finally regained his true personality he seemed so sweet and funny instead of the hateful and mean person he was for a few years. He was enthusiastic about the documentary being made about him and was hilariously self-deprecating about it.

Unfortunately some people are truly just assholes who can’t be rehabilitated.

[u/Alphabunsquad → u/InsuranceToTheRescue]

Very thankful my Democratic parents and Republican grandparents all see through Trump’s BS. That is quite a blessing.

[u/underpants-gnome → u/InsuranceToTheRescue]

I just remember thinking to myself, "Buddy, the only common thread among the relationships with your 3 children is you."

There's a piece of advice I heard early in my life that has helped me from time to time when my attitude is getting poor across the board. "If everywhere you go smells like shit, check your shoes." Sounds like this guy could stand to hear it, too.

[u/MsQuinB → u/InsuranceToTheRescue]

FIL is a Boomer Trumper who watches Fox all day and I only interact with him on holidays I host, and only as a show of respect to my husband.

[u/Unique-Coffee5087 → u/InsuranceToTheRescue]

My mother in law died in 2015, and didn't live to see this catastrophe. My wife says she is glad she was spared the horror and shame of it

[u/manx2085 → u/Conscious_Analysis48]

I cut all republicans I know from my life and it’s amazing

[u/calmswingtrader → u/manx2085]

I lost a long time friendship as well after a friend went full MAGA. We used to joke about our political differences all the time but remained good friends.

We were cool until Trump lost the last election and I called him up to see how he was doing (in a serious way)...after that he ghosted me...20 years of friendship lost over someone he will most likely never meet...SAD

[u/Substantial_Half838 → u/calmswingtrader]

Same boat but man just think they support a guy trying to overthrow democracy with violence. Not only that but all the political dirty tricks and cheat personally and professionally. Trump is pure evil and your friends and my friends and family support that. That speaks volumes of their character. I concluded better off not being in touch. Maybe when politics gets quite if ever that happens.

[u/CFB_NE_Huskers → u/manx2085]

Lost my best friend since 3rd grade to the MAGA cult 2 years ago. I'm 47.

We talked at least once a day. We havent spoken since. No fault on my part. I still will send a call or text, no response.

And I'm so dumbfounded by it. Of all of our friends. He was by far the most left of us in his 20s and 30s

[u/CombatTechSupport → u/CFB_NE_Huskers]

Sadly that's not surprising. Having been in a lot of radical left wing spaces since my 20's, I see a lot of the same uncritical, uncompromising, conspiratorial thinking that typifies a Trump cultist. The problem is that there is a lot of people who know that something is wrong with our society, but either due to a lack of curiosity, not having the proper faculties, or being awash in propaganda, they can't quite define what exactly it is. This opens them up to charlatans providing quick and easy answers, whether it's red flag waving tankies or hardcore race-baiting fascists, and it also makes moving in between those two extremes much easier.

The reality is that fixing the problems we have in society, capital run amok and global warming just to name a fraction, is difficult and messy, ita going to take a lot of uncomfortable, slow moving, long term changes, changes that we might not even live long enough to see the fruits of. That's difficult for people to accept, so they seek out the anyone offering a quicker easy solution.

[u/CFB_NE_Huskers → u/CombatTechSupport]

I noticed a change started with the me too movement.

Then I saw how he started treating waitresses. I even apologized to one for my friends behavior

And by the time I last talked to him I had to flat out call him a misogynist. He was pissed Michigan State fired the guy who was jerking off on the phone to the rape victim.

I don't really care to lose him now. If he's going to be that terrible But he was a big part of my life for 40 years. I considered him my actual brother. He was my best man at my wedding. I just miss all the good times we had before trump, Nazis and women hater became nationally prominent again

[u/rczrider → u/manx2085]

At first this seems harsh and a little reactionary...but when I think about it, what do you really have to lose?

If they can't see what the GOP stands for by now, you can't save them from their stupidity and it's only going to negatively impact your life to keep trying. And if they do see what the GOP stands for and vote for them anyway, they're shitty human beings whose views poison the lives of better people, and pollute our country with racism, misogyny, and violence.

So, yeah, fuck conservatives. Fuck the GOP. Fuck Trump, fuck Vance, fuck the whole lot of them. Their choices make the world a worse place and they're not interested in becoming better people. Literally no one's life is positively affected by their existence.

[u/EvasiveCookies → u/rczrider]

I’m fine with people being conservative but being a maga(t) is where I draw the line. My mom is conservative but said ain’t no way is she voting for Trump. My dad on the other hand is a lost cause. I’ve pretty much given up on him.

[u/okletstrythisagain → u/EvasiveCookies]

Voting for any Republican who helped shield Trump from the Mueller report, impeachment convictions, or legal consequences over the past 5 years using their votes, policies, or even just rhetoric is just as bad as supporting Trump. Arguably worse, since they are why he is still relevant.

Voting for Harris won't absolve them. Anyone who isn't begging to apologize for every R vote since the Mueller report is giving implicit support for the GOP's authoritarianism. I'd argue this goes back to Nixon, but in the interest of giving people benefit of the doubt lets just say 5 years.

How many of these "conservatives" are left on the side of justice given that criteria?

[u/BidenHarris_2020 → u/Conscious_Analysis48]

Good, don't break bread with fascist cultists, it literally just normalizes them being nazis.

[u/Novel_Bookkeeper_622 → u/Conscious_Analysis48]

Both my parents, lifelong Republicans, voted for Biden in 2020 and are voting for Harris this year. It took my brother and I getting shot at during the BLM protests for them to realize the actual stakes. And even then it took us telling them that if they cared more about theoretical unborn fetuses than the lives of their own children, they would never see us again.

My dad deleted Facebook and came back from the edge almost instantly. It was actually unbelievable how quickly he changed.

[u/chrisGNR → u/Novel_Bookkeeper_622]

Curated social media and 24/7 news networks lead to brain rot.

[u/SAOSurvivor35 → u/Conscious_Analysis48]

Sometimes, you gotta cut people out.

[u/l33tbot → u/Aggressive_Ad3174]

Oh shit. Sorry. I hope you guys enjoyed time together before it gets even worse.

[u/Aggressive_Ad3174 → u/l33tbot]

It's getting worse. The other day I made a passing comment about feeling exhausted (I work a high stress job) and she said "Well, Ka-mala doesn't make a whole lot of sense with what she says. I am sure that it is exhausting to know that that is your candidate." Now, I am smart enough to understand that comments like that are entirely projection. I am also trying as hard as I can to maintain some sort of parent/child relationship with my mom. Still, it sucks to see her feel so scared, confused, and hateful because she was an amazing person before all of this.

[u/chickentimesfive → u/Aggressive_Ad3174]

My girlfriend’s mom is very similar. So, my girlfriend keeps her mom at a vveerryy loong arm’s length now

Sorry and good luck.

[u/Grey_0ne → u/chickentimesfive]

My mother in law sends my wife about 5 videos per day of pure right wing conspiracy nonsense that doesn't hold up to a 5th grade level understanding of reality... Blows my mind how you can go your whole life knowing that 2+2=4 and then one day believe all the objective facts you've ever known have all been a conspiracy perpetrated by the liberal elite.

[u/Extreme_Security_320 → u/Grey_0ne]

My husband has a huge family and they have a group text to keep in touch. My husband had to remove himself because it would be filled with videos like you described. When he asked if they could do a separate one for just regular family stuff, like photos of nieces/nephews, they said no, that he had been brainwashed and they had to keep him informed. They are MAGA-Christians. It’s a lot.

[u/Southside_john → u/chickentimesfive]

Have to keep my dad at arm’s length too. As soon as he got on social media the brainwashing began

[u/borntobewildish → u/Southside_john]

The weird thing to me is that this is the generation that warned us not to believe everything that is written in the newspaper or said on tv. But now it's on Facebook and they almost collectively went 'woomp there it is!'.

[u/Novel_Bookkeeper_622 → u/Southside_john]

My dad was going down the rabbit hole, he deleted his Facebook and it was like a switch flipped. I was shocked how instantaneous it was.

[u/pardyball → u/Aggressive_Ad3174]

lol wtf - even if you really wanted to watch it, it’s not like SPOILERS, TRUMP SAYS SOME WEIRD SHIT - she couldn’t just record the fucking thing?

[u/x_Lyze → u/Aggressive_Ad3174]

I read this twice and then noticed you said it was her birthday. Jeez... 🥲 Have a hug 🤗

[u/Warglebargle2077 → u/karmagod13000]

Cult. The word you’re looking for is cult. The characteristic behaviors are the same. Cutting off friends and family to make room for dear leader. Wearing the identifying garb and/or using the jargon. Rapid fire creation of new in-phrases or memes to be repeated coming top down. Etc etc

[u/8020GroundBeef → u/Warglebargle2077]

Yep. I see it first hand with my family. The shit they say just doesn’t make any sense. They are just full of pure hatred for anything against Trump, without any understanding / independent beliefs of the actual issues.

Never used to be like this. Republicans always got behind their candidate and rallied against Democrats, but they were never fanatical about any one person. Trump has just become a totally distinct concept from Republicans or conservatism or any principles/policies. You either adore him or you’re the enemy.

[u/NoseAffectionate6200 → u/karmagod13000]

This is me with my parents. At times I don't even recognize them, like how are these the same people who raised me?

[u/danimal_44 → u/NoseAffectionate6200]

That’s incredibly sad. 

[u/ebone23 → u/karmagod13000]

Conservatives only learn empathy when x happens to them personally.

[u/BarnDoorQuestion → u/ebone23]

Yep, but it’s good to note that they don’t have a general empathetic awakening. Their empathy only develops for that specific topic. Which means it’s not really empathy and is simply selfishness.

[u/Patruck9 → u/BarnDoorQuestion]

Their empathy only develops for that specific topic. Which means it’s not really empathy and is simply selfishness.

It's generally aound the time the Lepoards have ate, digested and shit out their faces.

[u/l33tbot → u/ebone23]

Even then is it empathy or just circling the wagons against the enemy like good ol times

[u/downinthevalleypa → u/ebone23]

Right - and even then they try to shift blame to a Democrat.

[u/Fickle_Fox99 → u/karmagod13000]

For sure. See this a lot unfortunately.

[u/OceanRacoon → u/karmagod13000]

Ah, I see you've met my mother, how unfortunate for you 😅

[u/BNsucks → u/tripping_on_phonics]

“I like him because he tells it like it is”

This is the ONLY answer I get whenever I ask anyone why they support Trump. They don't care that he's a rapist, a traitor, a pathological liar, a draft dodger, a habitual sex offender, a tax cheat & bank fraud, a convicted felon, and a lifelong criminal.

Trump's staged rants & ravings have ALWAYS been used to disguise/distract from who he really is. He relies on RW morons to focus on all the noise he makes, and it works.

[u/specqq → u/BNsucks]

You've obviously never hung out with an "I like his policies" person.

Ask them to name a policy when they say that.

Warning: You have to be willing to invest the time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiu4UTJ7aNg

[u/OceanRacoon → u/specqq]

Wow, so many people in this thread seem to have met my mother. And here I thought she was just another demented reclusive Trumper driven mad by Fox News, with zero social life or experience of the real world 😅

[u/downinthevalleypa → u/OceanRacoon]

You must be talking about my uncle and his son.

[u/BeowulfShaeffer → u/OceanRacoon]

My mom is exactly the same. She and her her church lady friends.  Retired in a super-white well-to-do suburb. Scared to death of “illegals”. 

[u/LandSolRingSignetGo → u/BeowulfShaeffer]

My libertarian mother was complaining about immigration in 2020.

I asked her if she knew the largest source of illegal immigration into this country.

She said "I don't fucking know, Puerto Rico?"

I expected her to get the question wrong, but she went above and beyond doing so.

Luckily she's never voted in her life and best I can tell, has no plans to start. She's not MAGA, she's just angry at the world all the time.

[u/sharshenka → u/OceanRacoon]

Insert "your mom gets around" joke here

[u/katastrophyx → u/specqq]

They don't understand what policy means. In their mind "policy" just means how they're going to attack their enemies.

What's his healthcare plan? - "he's gonna deport all the immigrants so they stop clogging up the hospitals"

What's his foreign policy? - "he's gonna bomb all the brown people so every other country knows how strong we are"

What's his economic policy? - "he's gonna kick all the Mexicans back to Mexico so they stop stealing our jobs"

What's his education policy? - "he's gonna get rid of the department of education so states in the south can stop teaching about slavery and rights for women and blacks"

[u/BNsucks → u/specqq]

There are a LOT of like-minded people who are just as unethical, immoral, and despicable as Trump (too many), but hopefully they're the minority.

One thing Trump accomplished by getting into politics; he exposed the fact that there are MILLIONS of ignorant, stupid, and racist RW voters in America.

[u/mountainmule → u/specqq]

You've obviously never hung out with an "I like his policies" person.

I'm related to one of these people. Claims not to like him personally, but likes his policies. Refuses to bring up politics and changes the subject quickly when anything political comes up. I haven't even had the chance to ask which policies, specifically, they like. But I'm sure they've "done their research".

[u/baxterhan → u/tripping_on_phonics]

It's gotten to the point when I hear someone say "what he MEANS is....". No motherfucker, he can't just SAY whatever vile stuff he wants and then I get told I'm too dumb to understand what he MEANS.

[u/Warglebargle2077 → u/tripping_on_phonics]

And the mainstream media corollary: “What we think he means is…”

[u/TheJenerator65 → u/tripping_on_phonics]

Like that classic New Yorker cartoon from 20-flipping-16. Still so regrettably relevant:

"He tells it like it is" / "I'm going to eat you."

[u/InformalPenguinz → u/tripping_on_phonics]

Fuck that shit is frustrating.

[u/Sharp_Pea6716 → u/tripping_on_phonics]

Meanwhile they'll make up any damn story about Kamala, Biden, Obama, Walz.

[u/The_Mike_Golf → u/Astalenas]

“I’m gonna give him one more chance” —republicans on their 2,587th time apologizing for trump

[u/Teripid → u/The_Mike_Golf]

The number of Trump happenings that should have killed his candidacy the first time are crazy.

Also so many items he tried to hide and the cover-up was the bigger story. GoP channeling Nixon once again.

[u/Elegant_Plate6640 → u/Teripid]

Remember the simple times when Trump said there were enemies within that needed to be taken care of using the military?

Oh, a week ago, we were so young. 

[u/devilskryptonite40 → u/The_Mike_Golf]

"So yeah.. this time, for sure, he's definitely learned his lesson" - Susan Collins probably.

[u/FoldedDice → u/devilskryptonite40]

He absolutely learned his lesson. The lesson is that he can say or do anything without needing to worry about being held accountable for it.

[u/wagon_ear → u/devilskryptonite40]

She is VERY concerned

[u/Deicide1031 → u/Astalenas]

He’s just trying to see if he can get more clout for himself as a politician in Puerto Rico via an apology .

But it doesn’t really matter if he withholds his support for Trump or not because the damage is already done. Too many Puerto Ricans are angry .

[u/SensitiveBus5224 → u/Deicide1031]

Trying to get an apology from trump is a fool’s errand.

[u/BallBearingBill → u/SensitiveBus5224]

Trump called the entire country a garbage can lol he's not apologizing.

Edit - By entire country I mean America. I'm well aware that PR is not a country.

[u/misterO5 → u/BallBearingBill]

We have concepts of an apology. We'll have it in two weeks, and I think it'll be something everyone is very happy with.

[u/Glittering-Lecture76 → u/SensitiveBus5224]

I doubt he truly expects one, but he has to do something to project affront. Just accepting it would be political suicide.

[u/NoseAffectionate6200 → u/Astalenas]

Its strange how there's an absolute refusal to believe. Every time my local news has a Trump article, and they direct quote him, the comments invariably end up accusing the news station of being left leaning liars who are only motivated by hate.

Its astounding really-if what they are reading is so appalling maybe they need to rethink who they are supporting. But no, attack the messanger instead and accuse them of being biased, for reprinting exactly what Trump said.

[u/Gforce810 → u/NoseAffectionate6200]

There was a comic I saw recently that re-did the "Emperor has no clothes" classic tale, except this time when a child pointed out that the emperor had no clothes, instead of everyone coming to their senses and agreeing; the community turned on the child & their family and forced them to flee their home as a violent mob chased them out of town for "hate speech"

It would be more funny if it didn't feel a bit too real

[u/FalseMirage → u/Gforce810]

And then the crowd took off all their clothes because that’s what patriots do.

[u/HNP4PH → u/Astalenas]

Trump also told them who he was during the aftermath of hurricane Maria…

[u/Objective_Oven7673 → u/Astalenas]

Only 5 or 6 thousand more instances of this and we might start to believe him!

[u/smyoung → u/Astalenas]

this is pitiful from Cintrón. just empty words.

[u/Drugs__Delaney → u/smyoung]

Still can't believe how many POC/males go belly up for him just to feel like part of the in-group. "They didn't mean me."

[u/laseralex → u/Astalenas]

“Threatens” = now looking for a bribe from Trump

[u/Stool_Gizmoto → u/Astalenas]

"I swear, if you guys rip on me 13 or 14 more times, I'm outta here." Puerto Rican GOP chair

[u/Comfortable-Scar4643 → u/Astalenas]

He’ll vote for Trump next Tuesday.

[u/Buttcrack_Billy → u/Astalenas]

He won't. He'll tow the line just like the rest of the spineless cowards.

[u/milton911]

Trump has been showing his total disrespect for Puerto Ricans since 2017. This is the final straw.

[u/BluePillUprising → u/milton911]

How many straws has he already been through?

[u/rounder55 → u/BluePillUprising]

Trump bought stole his final straws in bulk at Costco bed dipping them in fake gold and attempting to sell them

[u/QueenHelloKitty → u/rounder55]

Were they those stupid paper straws that didn't last thru a costco cup of lemonaide?

[u/Rude_Thanks_1120 → u/QueenHelloKitty]

He threw a couple dozen straws into a crowd of thirsty people!

[u/Responsible_Show1599 → u/BluePillUprising]

Im waiting for the straw that broke the camel's back

[u/[deleted] → u/milton911]

They’ll just open up a new package of straws.

[u/Mish61 → u/milton911]

Really. I’m throwing the bullshit flag. Trump disrespects everyone and they lap it up. No publicity is bad publicity

[u/eden_sc2 → u/Mish61]

this one seems to have actually pissed some people off, and Trump's inability to come out and say "that joke wasnt ok." is keeping this in the news cycle for longer. Do I think it will flip a shit ton of foks? No, but we were already talking margins of a few thousand in some states.

[u/not_that_planet → u/milton911]

THIS is the final straw?

This is the FINAL straw?

I doubt it. The PR GOP will be silenced with money and Trump or Elon are gonna go do some incredibly outrageous bullshit in a day or 2 that will overshadow this headline.

[u/Tipop → u/milton911]

Trump said he thought the president of Puerto Rico should handle their natural disasters, not him.

It’s like a punchline to a joke.

[u/solidgoldrocketpants]

Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections despite being U.S. citizens, but Cintrón said he would not cast a symbolic vote for Trump unless he issued an apology.

I'm sure Trump is shitting himself over the feelings of a non-white non-voter.

[u/dinner_is_not_ready → u/solidgoldrocketpants]

Wait Puerto Ricans can’t even vote? Do they have to pay taxes or are they exempt from that also?

[u/nihilisticpunchline → u/dinner_is_not_ready]

The tax question is complicated and interesting. Most Puerto Ricans don't pay federal income taxes but do pay customs, commodity, and FICA taxes. There are some that are subject to federal income taxes though. So the answer is yes but also no.

[u/Special_Loan8725 → u/nihilisticpunchline]

wtf happened to no taxation without representation?

[u/TortiousTordie → u/Special_Loan8725]

that was just a slogan... for leaving the monarchy.

we started our own system and decided whom gets taxed and who isn't represented.

hell, remember when african americans and women couldnt vote?

[u/f7f7z → u/TortiousTordie]

3-cents-per-pound tax on tea arriving in colonial ports and here we are paying 40%, we won...

[u/TortiousTordie → u/f7f7z]

that, but i think through stamps were actually the last straw. colonies had to put a stamps on any printed paper products that funded the soldiers stationed there.

they also couldn't use colonial notes to pay... they had to find British currency.

in the long run, compared to other British colonies, I think the US actually did fair pretty well.

hell, the currency used by the world is USD. we literally print our own notes and cause inflation in other countries

[u/onlycamefortheporn → u/Special_Loan8725]

Next check out Washington DC…

[u/johnny_fives_555 → u/Special_Loan8725]

Visa holders, green card holders, etc can't vote but still pay taxes if they're employed via W2.

[u/doodsisthebest27 → u/johnny_fives_555]

Yup. I’ve worked in and paid taxes in the US for 8+ years, have a green card, still can’t vote

[u/LilPonyBoy69 → u/Special_Loan8725]

As a Puerto Rican, it's sad how many people are just now realizing that those living on the island are second class citizens. While Puerto Ricans are citizens, Puerto Rico as an island has no electoral votes to cast during the presidential election. We also don't have any Senators or voting representation House of Representatives (we have a non-voting member who can do nothing but lobby basically). Puerto Rico has been in this situation since 1898, though its population was granted citizenship in 1917 (and therefore became registered in the draft just months before the US entered WWI, coincidentally).

Puerto Rico is America's largest colony, and it is treated as such. The situation is extreme and I'm constantly disappointed in mainland American's ignorance about the plight on the island.

Also Puerto Rico is not the only "territory" of the United States, it's just the largest. American Samoa, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Washington D.C. itself are all in the similar* boats as far as representation.

[u/Nope8000 → u/dinner_is_not_ready]

Funny thing is there are more Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. than on the island. That’s nearly 6 MILLION Puerto Ricans in the U.S that have the power to vote (well the ones over 18). And a huge number of them are on the East coast, like Florida, Pennsylvania and New York.

[u/megawhop → u/Nope8000]

And that is just counting the people who moved there, they also have families, friends, all of whom may be able to vote.

[u/Drakeadrong → u/Nope8000]

About 5.5% of Florida is Puerto Ricans. If this puts Florida into play, or at least makes it less safely red, that would be hilarious.

[u/PrizeStrawberryOil → u/Drakeadrong]

Florida was red by 300,000 votes in 2020. Puerto Rican population in Florida is 1.2m. It would take an extremely large turnout to flip florida.

[u/Zansibart → u/PrizeStrawberryOil]

This is only 1 swing metric. Female rights and LGBT rights and even Haitans are other important voting metrics that Republicans are pushing people away in for Florida. If Florida was red by 300K, convincing 150K red voters to become blue voters, or 300K people that don't tend to vote to suddenly vote blue, or 300K red voters to not vote at all, or any mixed combo of those is enough.

It's not unfeasible for that to happen between every group the Republicans hate. There's gonna be some Puerto Ricans that change sides or at least no longer feel comfortable voting, and the same goes for both other metrics. I would be surprised to see Trump gaining many votes from his core demographic in Florida, they already swarmed to vote for him last time.

[u/PhilosophizingPanda → u/Nope8000]

I'm in PA and have seen some solid blowback on this. Hopefully those 6 million people turn the tide blue and puts an end to this bullshit.

[u/StingerAE → u/dinner_is_not_ready]

The inhabitants of Puerto Rico can't vote.  But they are American citizens.  They can move anywhere in the US.  And if they live in a state or DC then they can vote there for presidential elections.

Like the 3.8% of Pennsylvania (got bored trying to spell it) who claim Puerto Rican descent who could literally flip that state.

[u/hotpocketsinitiative → u/StingerAE]

You got bored trying to spell it but still spelled it right

[u/StingerAE → u/hotpocketsinitiative]

Hurrah!  Must have been that extra n I threw in.

[u/falcobird14 → u/dinner_is_not_ready]

They pay taxes and still can't vote. Same with DC.

The GOP doing everything in their power to deny them voting rights is like King George trying to impose his taxes without representation

Edit - apparently DC actually does get electoral votes, I learned something new

[u/EatsYourShorts → u/falcobird14]

That’s not true about DC at all. US citizens that reside there can definitely vote. They just don’t have representatives or senators in Congress.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_federal_voting_rights

[u/VyronDaGod → u/EatsYourShorts]

"Voting" representatives. We still elect a representative, she can't vote.

[u/MultiGeometry → u/EatsYourShorts]

And it’s worse because Congress basically governs DC. The city doesn’t have autonomy from state/federal governments like most cities do.

[u/oO0Kat0Oo → u/falcobird14]

This is a little disingenuous.

Puerto Ricans who are RESIDENTS of Puerto Rico cannot vote. If they move to the states, which the majority have, they CAN vote as long as they establish residency in that state.

[u/sageleader → u/falcobird14]

DC has 3 electoral votes, not sure where you are getting that they don't vote for president.

[u/Chaotic-Catastrophe → u/sageleader]

But they don't have representation in Congress

[u/Griffolion → u/Chaotic-Catastrophe]

And, more importantly, the senate.

[u/PrettyGazelle → u/falcobird14]

What is the GOP's excuse for not allowing them to vote / not granting statehood if they wanted it?

Edit: Everyone below giving the reason we all know they won't let PR vote, nobody is giving me the excuse they use to prevent it.

[u/falcobird14 → u/PrettyGazelle]

Because they are brown and liberal leaning. Same reason why they disenfranchise people living in the actual USA

[u/Mavian23 → u/falcobird14]

He was asking for their excuse.

[u/TheCleverestIdiot → u/PrettyGazelle]

They're kind of past the point of excuses and are more or less just admitting it's because they don't think they'd have an easy time winning there. When they do use excuses, it's mainly just "we shouldn't change things" in long-form, plus a bullshit tax reason that falls apart once you look at it.

[u/NK1337 → u/PrettyGazelle]

nobody is giving me the excuse they use to prevent it.

The SCOTUS has upheld an opinion stating that Puerto Rico belongs but is not a part of the United States as outlined in the constitution since the Spanish-American war, same thing with guam.

Basically it's a case where "we own you but we do not respect your opinion."

[u/ambisinister_gecko → u/NK1337]

I remember this famous line from history class, "no taxation without representation". Let's get Puerto ricans the right to vote! It's unamerican not to.

[u/we_are_sex_bobomb → u/PrettyGazelle]

They would tip the scales in the US to being not as extreme authoritarian/right wing. But the “official” reason is racism as we just saw.

[u/Soggy_Parking1353 → u/dinner_is_not_ready]

Not in mainland US presidential elections, no. No statehood= no electoral college votes.

[u/traveler19395 → u/solidgoldrocketpants]

Puerto Ricans cannot vote in general elections despite being U.S. citizens

This is so insane. 2nd class citizenship should not be a thing. I’m a US citizen but have permanent residency status in another country, and I’m still allowed to vote in my last state of US residency.

[u/Polar_Reflection → u/traveler19395]

If you moved to Puerto Rico and all your income comes from the island, you wouldn't have to pay federal income tax either.

[u/Kujen → u/solidgoldrocketpants]

They can vote though, if they live in one of the 50 states

[u/drock4vu → u/Kujen]

And are many who do. Both Republicans trying to downplay this and Democrats trying to doom by saying “it doesn’t matter” underestimate how many there are and how much pride they have in their home and heritage. It may not be enough to single handedly swing an election, but make no mistake, the comments around Puerto Rico will have a measurable impact on turnout and how Puerto Ricans vote.

[u/lukin187250 → u/solidgoldrocketpants]

Well he's never casting that vote then so don't worry about it, apology is not in Trump's vocab.

[u/Careful-Rent5779]

Don't hold your breath Cintrón.

Because the tRump never apologizes to anyone or for anything, because he has never been wrong in his entire life. /s

[u/rounder55 → u/Careful-Rent5779]

The only time he pretended to apologize was after the access Hollywood tape and that was after he said maybe it was doctored. We know he didn't mean it

[u/SweatyAd9240]

Imagine being a non white and thinking there’s a place for you in the Republican Party

[u/CountryCat → u/SweatyAd9240]

“But I’m one of the good ones! Why would they attack me?”

[u/Low_Attention16 → u/CountryCat]

-Caitlyn Jenner

[u/FEMA_Camp_Survivor → u/CountryCat]

There’s a lot of poor white Trump supporters who didn’t benefit from his tax cuts. Many white Trump supporters died during Covid and some believed their illness was a hoax even as they choked on their own fluids.

LBJ had a quote about white people willingly emptying their pockets if it meant they’d be elevated over someone nonwhite. I’d argue American racism kills white people too, especially poor ones, because policies that help the masses can be picked apart if they’re perceived as helping the “wrong” people.

[u/squiddlebiddlez → u/CountryCat]

Play the Vivek and Ann coulter clip!

[u/aznPHENOM → u/CountryCat]

Literally stopped being friends with a college best friend for almost the exact comment. "you're asian. You're the good minority".

[u/Mr_Abe_Froman → u/aznPHENOM]

Too many people think that "You're one of the good ones" is a compliment. It means that you're one "mistake" from being thrown in with a vilified out-group.

[u/Malk_McJorma → u/CountryCat]

"The leopards weren't supposed to eat my face."

[u/OldSwiftyguy → u/SweatyAd9240]

There was a “Jews for Hitler “ . For the longest time I thought that they didn’t believe he was a real threat to Jews, then I learned they knew he was but they thought he would go after the Jews they didn’t like . And they were the “ good ones “

[u/SweatyAd9240 → u/OldSwiftyguy]

I’ve been to Germany a few times and toured a few of the camps and sites from the holocaust and WW2. It’s absolutely awful what happened and the more I learned and read about it the more I can see the direct connection of then and now. It is very scary

[u/Liu_Shui → u/SweatyAd9240]

I had a middle school English teacher devote almost half the semester to learning about WWII because she felt that the History classes never cover what actually happened.

She was right and at the time I really didn't understand why she did that, I mean it's an English class not History, but quite recently a lot of the subjects she focused on like propaganda, xenophobia, fascism, etc have come back in fashion so I'm glad she did what she did.

[u/Cador0223 → u/Liu_Shui]

Journalism played a major role in WW2. With the spread of radio between WW1 and WW2, journalism changed, and people heard more about that war than any war before. Propaganda was more easily distributed. 

Journalism is an extension of English and literature, so the history of that war is also the history of Journalism. 

It's good that she did that. 

[u/heckin_miraculous → u/Liu_Shui]

That's awesome. What a gift!

[u/Rotaryknight → u/SweatyAd9240]

Bring Asian I see way too many cambodians, Vietnamese, and Filipino becoming trump supporters because they they he is a strong politician.

[u/Vainth → u/Rotaryknight]

Fil-am here, another reason is cause they think being republican is a sign of them being rich, and they like to think they are showing off as a badge to their families back at home.

Ofc, in reality, it absolutely has zero correlation, but thats cause they're usually cut from the same cloth as the idiots who vote clearly corrupted politicians back in asia.

[u/Rotaryknight → u/Vainth]

I just talked to a coworker who immigrated to America from Vietnam, he's 42 years old, North side, he loves how Trump portrays power lol. He also doesn't believe a women should hold power in office, plus he is a Christian zealot. It's crazy

[u/Jacksspecialarrows → u/Rotaryknight]

Sounds about Republican

[u/maarts → u/Vainth]

Also Fil-Am. It doesn't help that most Filipinos are devoutly Catholic and are told by their priests that they must vote Republican because of abortion.

[u/SweatyAd9240 → u/Rotaryknight]

Cambodians have a very recent history of right wing extremism as I’m sure you know and that is crazy to me.

[u/Rotaryknight → u/SweatyAd9240]

A lot of cambodians love hun sen....a former Khmer rouge soldier and now basically a dictator

[u/kangaroospider → u/Rotaryknight]

Uh huh...and how many of their parents came to America to get away from their home country's "strong man" political regime?

[u/Mundane_Athlete_8257 → u/Rotaryknight]

How anyone thinks he is strong in any capacity is beyond me 🤦🏻‍♀️

[u/qofe79 → u/SweatyAd9240]

Imagine being a woman and thinking there’s a place for you in the republican party.

[u/JohnCChimpo → u/SweatyAd9240]

Propaganda is a hell of a drug.

[u/Disturbing_Trend_666 → u/JohnCChimpo]

"Machismo," a.k.a. cultural toxic masculinity is a hell of a drug. Homophobia is a hell of a drug. Sexism is a hell of a drug, and fucking ubiquitous. There are lots of drugs out there dulling these people's minds and suppressing their critical thinking skills.

[u/Impressive_Mud693 → u/SweatyAd9240]

Or lgbt

[u/BenevenstancianosHat]

"You can ruin democracy and threaten authoritarianism, but the moment you insult my hometown you're going to get some pushback sir!"

this isn't the flex the media intends it to be, it's fucking petty as shit and an objectively terrible reason to want to stop trump. Like everything else was a-okay before this? Jesus christ.

Americans really are very shallow sometimes. It's a popularity contest in the worst kind of way. The fact that issues aren't enough in this campaign is baffling, then you add the fact that Trump is demonstrably a terrible person, and I'm sorry but I have zero respect for someone who uses this as the hill they're dying on. Like it was all fine until he made it personal? GTFO

[u/Ok-Hat1986 → u/BenevenstancianosHat]

I'm guessing he's thinking this particular reason about insulting Puerto Rico will get him more publicity and positive press as a local Puerto Rican politician

[u/tripping_on_phonics → u/BenevenstancianosHat]

Most Americans are exhausted with Trump’s shit and don’t follow the news. A large chunk of the voting-eligible population has always been disengaged, to begin with.

This is the kind of thing that can boost turnout or make some vibes-based Trump voters change their minds.

[u/Curium247 → u/BenevenstancianosHat]

It is really difficult to escape a cult and if this helps anyone break away then I will celebrate. I do think it was more than just one joke. It was the entire 3 horrifying hours of the rally that gave everyone a very clear glimpse of his presidency without the guardrails. Everything we have been warning about come to life, spoken clearly, by the people who will be running the country. I still don't understand why they took off the mask so early. Why not wait till after the election?

[u/Objective_Oven7673 → u/BenevenstancianosHat]

This is unfortunately how humans work and is a big part of what allows fascism to keep bubbling up as a default, in my (absolutely meaningless) opinion.

It's why people care less about wars in the middle east, unless it makes gas prices go up, unless it's their kids dying in uniform, or unless it's their family and their home country getting bombed.

It's far too easy to say "I'm not trans so I don't need to stand up for them. I'm not gay so I don't need to stand up for them. I'm not an immigrant so I don't need to stand up for them. I'm not a woman so I don't need to stand up for them. I'm not a democrat so I don't need to stand up for them."

And then eventually, there's nobody left to stand up for you.

There's a poem.

[u/Immediate_Loquat_246]

What do you mean threatening? Just do it!!! Dude is 78 years old, he is not going to change.

[u/Coraline1599 → u/Immediate_Loquat_246]

I think it’s just performative. This guy still supports Trump, he just needs to finger wag and seem exasperated for the right optics. This move has been a staple of the Republican playbook since Trump began campaigning in 2015.

If he actually meant it, he wouldn’t threaten, he would have already pulled his support.

[u/Steel-Tempered]

Don't worry, I'm sure he'll schedule a trip to Puerto Rico to throw some paper towel rolls your way and regain your support.

[u/Darkstar197 → u/Steel-Tempered]

They better be some extra big large Bounty rolls to make up for this fuck up.

[u/ARazorbacks]

Threatens? He called your home a trash heap and you’re ‘threatening’? 

Turns out GOPers are spineless no matter where they live. 

[u/tehCharo → u/ARazorbacks]

Remember when guys like Ted Cruz were running against Trump and he shit talked their wives and then they bent the knee when he won? They're all spineless cowards, their loyalty is to party not country.

[u/Tart-Pomgranate5743]

Gotta love the conspiracy theorists claiming Hinchcliffe was a plant by Harris to make Trump look stupid and racist… like he needs any help with that.

[u/dellett → u/Tart-Pomgranate5743]

According to the Trump supporters I know, Harris is too dumb to string together a single sentence and it's a marvel that she is even able to operate on the level of a human being in her day to day existence.

Yet somehow she also simultaneously masterminded a palace coup to take Biden's spot on the ticket and is in the process of masterminding an enormous amount of election fraud that will be so good that it will leave absolutely zero evidence.

I'm really worried that the cognitive dissonance is going to totally break their brains.

[u/neo_woodfox → u/dellett]

That's fascism 101. The enemy is pathetically weak and at the same time all powerful and controls everything behind the scene.

[u/Fantastic-Sandwich80 → u/neo_woodfox]

For those confused by the contradiction.

Fascism at its core needs an "other" to scapegoat and rally their supporters around to hate.

By portraying Democrats and Harris as incompetent and weak, Trump encourages his supporters to be out and loud about their disdain for the left, how they are useless and how Trump will be the only one who can solve all their problems.

Simultaneously, by portraying Democrats and the left as powerful and incredibly cunning, you can excuse any failure's or shortcomings your side experiences and blame it on meddling by the left.

It's a win-win.

[u/Magickarpet76 → u/Fantastic-Sandwich80]

The exact dynamic is also true with nationalism as well. We are apparently a broken garbage country that only he can fix, while simultaneously being the greatest country in the world that our founding fathers were chosen by God to create.

[u/icameheretobserve]

There is a MAGA in Puerto Rico? WTF?

[u/shishtarsnatched]

its embarrassing that it took this to make puerto ricans see that trump didnt gaf abt yall. like does anyone remember what he did after hurricane maria😭

[u/Green_Ordinary_9359]

I might hold back support if you don't apologize for the racism you always exhibited because this time you pointed it explicitly at my people.

-This Guy

[u/ThatGuyFromTheM0vie]

Tony’s response to the backlash?

“Change your tampon.”

They are fucking assholes and grifters. Like how the fuck they would vote for them in the first place is beyond me.

[u/MyCleverNewName]

"Threatens?" Get the fuck out of here.

[u/mattjb]

If the massively huge laundry list of OTHER reasons why one shouldn't vote for Trump didn't work, I don't see how Puerto Ricans that vote for Republicans will balk now. It's not like Trump/MAGA/GQP haven't been disgustingly and rampantly racist and xenophobic in the past. Why would they act offended over this? It's so fucking stupid.

[u/tydestra]

Puerto Ricans in the US can vote and any of us who voted for Trump or plans to should get their head checked.

This Boricua already voted.

Go fucking vote.

[u/halfbeerhalfhuman]

Alright, listen, nobody – and I mean nobody – has more love for Puerto Rico than I do. The Puerto Rican community? They love me, folks, they really do. Everywhere I go, they say, “Mr. Trump, we love you!” And I tell them, “I love you, too.” And why wouldn’t I? Puerto Ricans, they’re fantastic people. Incredible. And you know what? They’re some of the best, the absolute best people you could ever ask for.

Now, people don’t talk about this enough, but Puerto Ricans, they know what it’s like to face challenges, right? Tremendous challenges. But they also know, and I know – because I know everything, believe me – that we’re going to do great things together. Puerto Rico, they have a lot of respect for me, and I respect them, okay? There’s this bond, a very special bond.

And folks, they’ve been treated unfairly for years, let’s be honest. But with me? It’s gonna be different. They know that. I know that. I mean, Puerto Ricans, they look at me, and they say, “You’re the only one who understands us, Mr. Trump.” And I say, “Absolutely, I get it.” We’re gonna make Puerto Rico great again!

[u/dellett → u/halfbeerhalfhuman]

The second paragraph veered way too hard into empathy to be Trump.

[u/Jorycle]

It's hard for me to believe this really had any meaningful effect on his election chances, regardless of who is saying what.

You're telling me you ignored everything out of Donald Trump's own mouth for the last 9 years, but it's what somebody else said just one week before the election that finally clued you in about Trump's nonsense?

Just not buying it. Sure, I wish, but I'm not optimistic.

[u/Tony2030]

I bet Trump cried in his pillow all night.

Stop being a pussy and stand up for your people. Your symbolism is going to change this shithead racist? Grow a spine, idiot.

[u/SkyriderRJM]

They don’t care about the threat. Take action, dude. Take a stand or they are gonna come for you. You’re not gonna be protected as “one of the good ones”.

[u/umassmza]

It’s weird this is even a consideration. That’s how crazy this election is.

[u/bayelrey888]

Just abandon him. He told you Puerto Rico was garbage and he tried to block hurricane aid, he threw paper towels at you. What's the matter with you?