Many politicians and pundits have offered their analysis of Republicans’ sweeping election victory, but only a few have adequately recognized the significance of Puerto Ricans’ support for President Trump and what it could mean for the future of the island.
Speaking on Fox News the day after the election, former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus pointed out that President Trump “won in Puerto Rican communities in Florida” and said, “This idea that Puerto Rico is just a bunch of Democrats is totally false, and Donald Trump won that in the Puerto Rican community.” He’s exactly right, and his comments show why statehood for Puerto Rico should be a Republican priority.
Trump made significant electoral gains among Puerto Ricans stateside. Take Trump’s victories in places like Berks County, Penn., home to a significant Puerto Rican population, and Osceola County, Fla., where one of the nation’s largest Puerto Rican communities swung 15 points in Trump’s favor. These huge victories underscore the broader trend of Latinos leaning Republican, a trend driven largely by Puerto Ricans.
The island of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican voters stateside strongly support President Trump and the Republican Party. Puerto Rico recently elected Jenniffer González-Colón as governor – a lifelong Republican and staunch Trump ally. Colón’s party, the New Progressive Party, elected Republicans as speaker and senate president of the state house in Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico’s shadow senator, Zoraida Buxó Santiago, is a Republican and a Trump supporter.
In addition to Puerto Ricans’ strong support of Republicans, they also voted, for the fourth time in 12 years, in favor of making Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States of America. The GOP should take notice of the pro-Trump, pro-Puerto Rico statehood movement. Republicans in Washington should see that 59% of Americans, a vast percentage of them Republicans, support statehood for Puerto Rico, offering an untapped opportunity for the GOP to expand its coalition.
For conservatives, Puerto Rico statehood represents a rare opportunity to welcome those who have proven their commitment to American principles. One of the Republicans’ heroes, Ronald Reagan, pledged his support for Puerto Rico statehood because he saw a people who desired freedom and prosperity. Today, leaders like Senator Rick Scott of Florida – a state with a robust Puerto Rican population – should work alongside President Trump to complete Reagan’s vision. With Mitch McConnell, a fervently anti-statehood senator, stepping down as Senate majority leader, Rick Scott could emerge as a key voice in the Trump movement advancing Puerto Rico statehood.
Supporting statehood would not only help Republicans electorally, but it would also fulfill the broader mandate that the American people have entrusted to the Republican Party. That mandate includes improving economic opportunities for all Americans. According to the New York Federal Reserve, Puerto Rico boasts “a strong – and potentially a highly competitive – economy.” Evidence shows that integrating Puerto Rico into the Union would bolster the U.S. economy and provide more opportunities for all Americans.
Importantly, statehood for Puerto Rico doesn’t need to be coupled with D.C. statehood – a point of apprehension for some Republicans who view the issues as inseparable. The Constitution delegates to Congress the authority to establish a district, not a state, as a neutral location for the national government to convene. Making D.C. a state would, therefore, involve a constitutional amendment, whereas making Puerto Rico a state could be done with a simple act of Congress.
Republicans have an opportunity to secure lasting support from a new generation of Puerto Ricans who believe in their vision for America. It’s time for Republican leaders like President Donald Trump and Senator Rick Scott to lead the charge to welcome Puerto Rico into the Union. It’s clear that Puerto Rico shares the commitment to American values and prosperity. It’s time to act – for Puerto Rico, for the Republican Party, and for America’s future.
