The new Trump administration has not even completed two months, but it’s unleashed a dizzying array of policies, statements, negotiations and governmental actions.
Border control, detention and deportation of illegal aliens, tariff threats, international negotiations, cutting Big Government, even talking about annexing new territories.
But amidst it all, a new proposal has been made to “de-annex” the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.
It’s not a state, but a U.S. territory. Its people are American citizens.
On the other hand, Puerto Rico sends its own teams to the Olympics and its own contestants to international beauty contests.
It has a Roman legal system, as opposed to the U.S., which has an English legal system.
Puerto Rico’s language is Spanish and its people have two last names as in many Spanish-speaking countries.
An American visiting Puerto Rico will feel like he or she is in a foreign country. Because really, Puerto Rico has a distinct identity and culture.
Puerto Rico has its own elected legislature. It has an elected governor, who resides in La Fortaleza, the oldest executive mansion in continuous use (since 1546) in the Western Hemisphere.
Puerto Ricans don’t have to pay federal income tax. But when there’s a natural disaster or financial problems, Uncle Sam bails them out.
There is now a proposal circulating on Capitol Hill to cut the apron strings and make Puerto Rico an independent country at last.
From the Daily Mail:
“Donald Trump is being lobbied to make Puerto Rico an independent nation and save American taxpayers $617.8 billion, DailyMail.com has learned. At least two congressional offices are in possession of a seven-page draft ‘executive order’ on how the U.S. can help the island territory transition to independence. One individual familiar with the document’s origins said at least two members of Congress have a copy of the draft, which DailyMail.com has obtained and reviewed.”
According to one source, this document “is also in the possession of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and potentially other Cabinet secretaries” and meetings have already been held or scheduled about the document.
Apparently this document was drafted by “a congressional office and leaders of Puerto Rico secessionist efforts, and not the White House.”
It is “a clear effort to apply pressure on the White House to transition Puerto Rico out of its current status as a U.S. territory” although “Trump has not indicated that he wants to rid the U.S. of the territory.”
Nevertheless, the document has the format of an executive order, as if it were authorized by President Trump. It even has a blank for Trump’s signature and a March 2025 date, with a blank for the day.
It’s a way of drafting a document so all Trump has to do is sign it.
The document stipulates a 21-month transition period lasting through December 21st, 2026, at the end of which, any baby born on the island of Puerto Rico would not be a U.S. citizen.
“This plan results in $617.8 billion in savings for the U.S. while providing Puerto Rico with the necessary resources for economic self-sufficiency,” the proposal states.
The draft sets up a Puerto Rico Transition Fund which would give the island $36 billion every year for 20 years.
That might sound like a lot but it’s less than the $1.37 trillion (plus billions in disaster relief) predicted to be spent on Puerto Rico in the next 50 years.
The proposal includes another blank space for the name of the not-yet-designated administrator who would oversee this transition fund: “The Administrator shall be a Puerto Rican National domiciled in Puerto Rico and shall not be or have been a member of the Government of Puerto Rico.”
The rationale behind this document is explained thusly: “Rather than perpetuating indefinite territorial dependence, this approach eliminates wasteful spending, establishes a clear exit strategy, and redirects federal resources toward national priorities and domestic programs.”
“This solution ensures Puerto Rico’s successful transition to sovereignty while upholding an America First policy.”
It’s an interesting proposal and certainly worthy of discussion.