September 25, 2017

Trump Keeps Tweeting About NFL Protests While Largely Ignoring Puerto Rico

The president’s attacks on athletes have been going on since Friday.

While Donald Trump dedicated his weekend Twitter activities to attacking professional athletes, North Korea, and John McCain, the president wrote nothing about Puerto Rico—even as the island continues to reel from the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria. 

The last time Trump used his Twitter account to offer words of support to the island was Wednesday, when he wrote a message directed at Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello: “We are with you and the people of Puerto Rico. Stay safe! #PRStrong.” By contrast, his Twitter tirade against NFL players who during the national anthem protest racial injustices entered its third day on Monday. 

Trump first launched his recent barrage against professional athletes on Friday during a campaign rally in Hunstville, Alabama, for Sen. Luther Strange. Trump started his speech by including Puerto Rico among a list of “communities that have recently been ravaged by storms and by floods.” He quickly descended into a highly divisive event during which he insulted NFL players who have taken a knee in protest during the national anthem.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he’s fired’?” Trump said on Friday.

Of the 42 tweets Trump has sent since his last tweet about Puerto Rico, 14 have been about athletes, seven have been about GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare, and three have been about North Korea.

Across Puerto Rico, large populations remain without power or aid. Officials estimate it may take up to six months to restore power to the entire island. White House officials have signaled that Trump plans to visit Puerto Rico, but an official date has yet to be announced. 

Many, including Hillary Clinton, are criticizing the president’s response—or lack thereof—to the unprecedented disaster.

Meanwhile, Trump’s Twitter feed remains squarely fixated on attacking professional athletes.

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We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

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