Because each state is given the power to elect a president, not the voters. Puerto Rico isn’t a state so their voters aren’t represented properly.

the electoral college values different things than the will of the populace

History tells me that if the US is disenfranchising a group of people, it's usually racism

one more reason why the popular vote would be better than the shitshow this is

What happened "no taxation without representation" that the colonists fought for in the war of independence? Apparently it only applies to white people.

Combine the Carolinas and Dakotas, add DC and Puerto Rico. No flag change.

His whole set was also loaded into the teleprompter, so they knew what he was gonna say.

I have no faith left in this country, he shouldn't even have gotten this far. I fully expect this to somehow raise his popularity, followed by a glowing endorsement from WaPp and Eric Adams

A lot of them don't know that Puerto Ricans are Americans. So, add xenophobia to the racism.

Brown bad

• GOP

Because racism.

Because our system is ~~broken af~~ designed and manipulated by powerful rich rascists who don't want to give up control.

They don't pay federal income tax (but they do pay other federal taxes, like payroll taxes including social security).

It's really racism. But if you want the legalistic explanation, here it is....

The United States started out with 13 states that were all ex-British territories on the Eastern seaboard of North America. There are now 50 states. Every state after the first 13 got its statehood by first being a territory, adopting a state Constitution at a constitutional convention, and then getting that Constitution approved by US Congress, and so being "admitted to the Union."

Under the Constitution, only states (and Washington DC) participate in the electoral college. The concept of non-state "territory" did not necessarily exist when that part was written, because there were only the original 13, and the Louisiana purchase wasn't done until later.

[Washington DC is a very special "district" that is not a state and not a territory.]

Puerto Rico has stayed at the territory stage since it was acquired in the Spanish-American war (started 1898). Why? Well, mostly racism. There have also been some popular votes in Puerto Rico, with very mixed results. In the currently evenly split political climate, getting any new state admitted is probably impossible (as it was before the civil war).

There's also some undercurrent that maybe the US is kinda uncomfortable holding on to these overseas islands (which are mostly connected to the same Spanish-American war). Philippines became an independent country. On the other hand, Hawaii got statehood in 1959 (but there was a whole racist history there of white colonization).

What an incredibly stupid thing for them to say. This was an official election rally, and they 100% vetted every joke before he went out there. If they didn't, they're incompetent. So either way, their own weak ass defense is damning.

As much as I hate the GOP, Puerto Rico has never attempted to apply for statehood. Their referendums on the subject have never shown a large enough amount of support for them to try a real vote. They're typically around a 50-50 split.