Donald Trump engages in a Twitter battle with the mayor of San Juan Puerto Rico and scolds the island over its finances and behavior. The press, as usual is aghast. The President, as usual, is getting great PR where it counts – with his base.

Trump is treating the Puerto Ricans like little kids that don’t know how to take care of themselves or what is good for themselves. This resonates with the base, who see Puerto Rico as a proxy for Hispanics in general, especially the illegal sort. Calling them out as irresponsible is red meat for the base.

Trump actually has a point here. The Puerto Rican government has not managed its finances well over the past decade as economy slowed down, incentives to invest there were phased out and the population and tax base decreased. They over-borrowed, can’t pay their loans back and need a bailout. Calling them out for sucking on the federal government’s teat is more red meat for the base.

Meanwhile the liberals are making a lot of noise about Trump picking on the helpless, hurricane-ravaged, minority Puerto Ricans. The base just loves this, because the liberals are acting emotionally and the base knows that Trump is right. FEMA cannot stay in Puerto Rico forever and something will have to be done about the massive Puerto Rican debt. The base loves calling out the liberals for knee jerk anti Trump reactions.