Editorial Board

Puerto Rico's Recovery Needs Trump's Leadership

When millions of Americans are suffering, the president should pay attention.

September 25, 2017 at 8:57 PM UTC

By The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

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Puerto Rico's electric grid is down. The destruction of cellphone towers has rendered smartphones dumb. Roads have been washed away, a crucial dam has burst, hospitals are crippled. Thousands of homes and buildings have been destroyed. Water and food are in short supply.

In short, Governor Ricardo Rossello is not exaggerating when he says that his island, home to 3.4 million U.S. citizens, faces a "humanitarian disaster." Yet for the last several days, President Donald Trump has ignored this national crisis as he pursues petty spats with sports figures.