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Donald Trump’s Latest Real Estate Venture: Sell Puerto Rico

Buy Greenland, sell Puerto Rico…what’s next?

Donald Trump is a businessman, first and foremost, having honed his skills in the hustle and bustle of The Big Apple before dipping his toes into the political fracas of the United States.

Trump has long been known for his ability to close a deal, whether it be through savvy financial fidgeting, or by sheer will and bombast.  This is the man who wrote The Art of The Deal, after all, and his victory in the 2016 election was largely due to Americans who believed it was time to run this nation like a business – at least for a little while.

And while Trump’s mogul-minded approach to politics was a breath of fresh air for Washington, it can sometimes be hard to teach an old dog new tricks.  This was readily apparent when rumors began to emerge that the Commander in Chief had suggested to close confidantes that America attempt to purchase Greenland outright.

This apparently wasn’t the only major territorial real estate maneuver on his mind.

President Donald Trump suggested selling Puerto Rico after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017, former acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke told the New York Times. 

Duke served almost a year in the Trump administration after replacing John Kelly in an acting capacity in July 2017 when he was appointed White House chief of staff. In an interview with the Times published Saturday, she was highly critical of her former boss, Trump, claiming he is paranoid of “deep state” plots and resorts to “hate-filled, angry and divisive” language.

And Trumps verbiage as all business.

She described being shocked at the president’s remarks at a meeting after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, where he suggested “divesting” or “selling” the island.

“The president’s initial ideas were more of as a businessman, you know,” she recalled. “Can we outsource the electricity? Can we sell the island? You know, or divest of that asset?”

President Trump has repeatedly feuded with San Juan Mayor Yulín Cruz over criticisms that she made over the federal response to Hurricane Maria.

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