President Donald Trump
claimed without evidence that Puerto Rico was using federal funding meant to go
towards Hurricane Maria recovery to pay off debt.
He reportedly told White
House officials that he wants stop giving Puerto Rico federal funding for
hurricane recovery.
President Donald Trump
wants stop giving Puerto Rico federal funding for Hurricane Maria recovery,
according to a report from Axios.
According to the report,
White House officials told congressional leadership that Trump claimed without
evidence that Puerto Rico's government is using the disaster relief money to
pay off debt.
Trump can't take disaster
funds back that he's already given to Puerto Rico or set aside by Congress, but
he reportedly could refuse to sign any future spending bills, according to
Axios.
The report comes after a
Wall Street Journal article said Puerto Rico bond prices had soared "after
the federal oversight board that runs the US territory's finances released a
revised fiscal plan that raises expectations for disaster funding and economic
growth."
Read more: San Juan Mayor
Carmen Yulín Cruz slams Trump after his revisionism on Puerto Rico hurricane
aftermath
Trump was reportedly angry
about the October article, and developed a conspiracy theory that disaster
relief funds were paying off debt in Puerto Rico.
Last month, Trump falsely
claimed in a tweet that Puerto Rico's "inept politicians are trying to use
the massive and ridiculously high amounts of hurricane/disaster funding to pay
off other obligations."
At the same time, White
House officials told Congress that Trump "doesn't want to include
additional Puerto Rico funding in further spending bills," a congressional
leadership aide told Axios.
"He was unhappy with
what he believed was mismanagement of money," the aide said.
Other sources said Trump
misinterpreted the Wall Street Journal article and that he told top officials
he wanted to stop setting aside funds for Puerto Rico’s hurricane relief.
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