It happens every few months. A video clips goes viral, or a heated debate breaks out on social media, and someone inevitably asks the question: "Wait, who is the President of Puerto Rico?"
The answer is both simple and, for many, incredibly frustrating. Donald Trump is the President of Puerto Rico.
Because Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, the person sitting in the Oval Office is the island's head of state. There is no separate "President" of the island. There is a Governor—currently Jenniffer González-Colón—but the ultimate federal authority rests in Washington D.C.
This technicality isn't just a trivia point. It’s been the flashpoint for some of the most intense political drama of the last decade, especially during the Trump administration’s handling of natural disasters and, more recently, a string of controversial pardons.
The Paper Towels and the $91 Billion Myth
You probably remember the image. It’s October 2017. Hurricane Maria has just ripped through the island, leaving millions without power or clean water. Donald Trump stands in a church in Guaynabo and starts tossing rolls of paper towels into a crowd like he’s shooting free throws at a Knicks game.
To his critics, it was the height of disrespect. To Trump, as he later told Mike Huckabee, it was "fun" and the crowd was "loving it."
But the real friction wasn't just about the towels. It was about the math.
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Trump repeatedly claimed that Puerto Rico had received $91 billion in aid. "More money than has ever been gotten for a hurricane before," he tweeted.
The problem? It wasn't true. At the time he made those claims, FEMA had actually only distributed about $11.2 billion. The $91 billion figure was a "long-term estimate" of what the island might need over decades, not money actually in the hands of the people. This gap between rhetoric and reality defined the relationship between the White House and San Juan for years.
The Pardon of Wanda Vázquez: A New Chapter in 2026
Fast forward to right now. In January 2026, the relationship between Trump and Puerto Rico’s leadership has taken a sharp, legalistic turn.
On January 16, 2026, news broke that Trump plans to pardon former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced.
Vázquez has a complicated history. She took office in 2019 after the "RickyRenuncia" protests forced out her predecessor, Ricardo Rosselló. She was later swept up in a federal bribery scandal involving a Venezuelan banker, Julio Martín Herrera Velutini. Prosecutors alleged that the banker offered to fund her campaign if she fired a commissioner who was auditing his bank.
Vázquez eventually pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in 2025.
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So why the pardon?
The White House is framing it as a strike against "lawfare." They point out that the federal investigation into Vázquez started just ten days after she endorsed Trump in 2020. To Trump, she isn't a corrupt official; she’s a political martyr.
Critics like Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, aren't buying it. He argued that the pardon "shatters faith in justice."
It’s a classic Trump move: rewarding a loyalist while simultaneously attacking the Department of Justice.
Why the "President" Confusion Still Happens
Honestly, the confusion over who runs the island persists because Puerto Rico exists in a sort of political twilight zone.
- Citizenship: Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917.
- Voting: They cannot vote for the President in the general election, despite the President having total authority over federal laws on the island.
- Representation: They have one "Resident Commissioner" in Congress who can't actually vote on final legislation.
When people search for "the President of Puerto Rico," they are often looking for the Governor. During the Trump years, that meant dealing with a revolving door of leaders:
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- Ricardo Rosselló: Resigned in disgrace after a chat leak scandal.
- Wanda Vázquez: The aforementioned governor now receiving a pardon.
- Pedro Pierluisi: A Democrat-aligned governor who pushed hard for statehood.
- Jenniffer González-Colón: The current governor as of 2025.
The "Floating Island of Garbage" Fallout
We can't talk about Trump and Puerto Rico without mentioning the 2024 campaign trail. During a massive rally at Madison Square Garden, a comedian called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage."
The backlash was immediate. It wasn't just Democrats complaining; even long-time Republican allies on the island were fuming.
Trump eventually tried to distance himself, calling himself the "best friend" Puerto Rico ever had, but the damage was done in the eyes of many voters in the diaspora. This is especially key in Florida and Pennsylvania, where the Puerto Rican vote can literally decide a presidency.
What This Means for the Future
The status of Puerto Rico remains the "undercurrent in every policy matter," as the Congressional Research Service puts it.
The 2026 pardon of Wanda Vázquez is likely to reignite the debate over whether the island should become the 51st state. Pro-statehood advocates argue that if Puerto Ricans could vote for their "President," they wouldn't be subject to the whims of a leader they didn't choose.
Actionable Insights for Following This Story:
- Watch the "Resident Commissioner" votes: This is the best way to see how Puerto Rican interests are actually being represented in D.C.
- Track FEMA "Obligated" vs. "Spent" funds: If you see a politician quoting a massive aid number, check the FEMA database to see if that money has actually been paid out or is just "promised."
- Monitor the 2026 Pardon Backlash: The legal community in San Juan is currently debating how these federal pardons affect local corruption cases. This could change how the island's Justice Department handles high-profile officials in the future.
The relationship between Donald Trump and the leaders of Puerto Rico has never been about standard diplomacy. It’s been a mix of disaster response, fiscal oversight, and high-stakes legal maneuvering. Whether you view him as a protector of allies or a source of systemic neglect, one thing is certain: he remains the most influential "President" the island has ever had.