“Go back”: How Trump’s media allies have dismissed or denigrated “third world country” Puerto Rico

Laura Loomer said Puerto Ricans shouldn’t be federal judges because they are supposedly “not even from this country”

Written by Eric Hananoki

Published

Donald Trump and Laura Loomer

From Laura Loomer's social media page. 

When podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe attacked Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” during Donald Trump’s October 27 rally at Madison Square Garden, he wasn’t making those remarks in isolation. 

Not only have numerous conservative media figures defended him, but other Trump-aligned media figures have previously dismissed or denigrated Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory whose residents are American citizens. 

The former president’s allies have claimed that Puerto Ricans shouldn’t be allowed to serve as federal judges because they’re “not even from this country”; mocked Puerto Rico as a “third world country”; told a Puerto Rican “who can barely speak English” to “go back” to “your old country”; and questioned, “Why don’t the illegals ever want to go to Puerto Rico?”

Trump ally Laura Loomer: Puerto Ricans shouldn’t be federal judges because they’re “not even from this country.” Loomer is a bigoted podcaster who is heavily connected to Trump. She has also hosted numerous Republicans, including Kari Lake, Bernie Moreno, and JD Vance. (She is scheduled to host Sen. Rick Scott tonight.)

During a rant about immigrant judges on her May 21 program, Loomer said that Puerto Rico isn’t part of the United States. She said: “In what world is it appropriate for immigrants to be deciding whether or not, you know, Donald Trump could be on the ballot or whether or not Donald Trump will be the next president depending on the outcome of these cases. And some people will say that that's an offensive statement to make. I don't really care. It's just something that a lot of people aren't aware of, and I think that it puts things into perspective when people realize, holy shit, three of the judges involved in Trump's cases are not even from this country. They're from Jamaica, Colombia, and Puerto Rico.”

Trump surrogate Tucker Carlson mocked Puerto Rico as a “third world country.” Carlson has been campaigning for Trump during this election. During a 2017 interview with former Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, Carlson asked of a push to make Puerto Rico a state: “Why would it be good for America to absorb a third world country into the United States? A country where electricity doesn't work. The whole island went dark in September, as you well know. It's massively in debt. It's totally corrupt and dysfunctional. I mean, no offense it's a great place and everything, but why would we -- what would be in it for America to make it a state?” 

Trump ally Carl Higbie on Puerto Ricans: “If you are so proud of your old country, then go back.” Higbie, a former Trump administration official, is now a Trump-supporting host for Newsmax who recently interviewed the former president. In his book, Higbie criticized Puerto Ricans, complaining about “some young punk, who has lived in America his whole life, with a Puerto Rican flag in the back of his car and who can barely speak English.” He added, “As I have said before, if you are so proud of your old country, then go back.” From Higbie’s 2012 book:

Since we are well established in our national way, why do people continue to try to make this more like the country from where they came? You left your country and came here because you thought our country is better, remember? It fires me up to no end when I see some young punk, who has lived in America his whole life, with a Puerto Rican flag in the back of his car and who can barely speak English. I mean, come on, someone else has got to see a problem with this. And maybe the parents of this kid are from Puerto Rico originally, but Puerto Rico has been supported by the United States for decades now; at least instill that in your kids, along with the English language. As I have said before, if you are so proud of your old country, then go back.

Trump surrogate Jack Posobiec wrote: “Why don’t the illegals ever want to go to Puerto Rico?” Posobiec, a far-right conspiracy theorist and Republican Party surrogate, posted the comment on his social media page. 

Fox anchor Martha MacCallum also suggested Puerto Rico is not part of the U.S. MacCallum, who has helped launder Trump’s positions to Fox’s audience, stated: “You feel terrible for people in Puerto Rico who were just hit, in Cuba who were just hit. Thank God we have better infrastructure in our country.” Fellow anchors Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino didn’t correct MacCallum. 

Breitbart’s Alex Marlow asked if “culturally there was an issue” regarding Puerto Rico being unprepared for Hurricane Maria. While hosting Breitbart’s radio program in 2017, Marlow said: “Do you think that culturally there was an issue there where people were not prepared for really what would have — it is inevitable that Puerto Rico is going to get hit by a hurricane every so often. I mean, most of the time you get away with it, but it's going to happen every 10 years or so. They're going to get slammed by something. Do you believe that there wasn't enough done, there wasn't enough effort made by the people of Puerto Rico to be prepared?”