Puerto Rico remains in dire need

The Trump administration must step up its relief and reconstruction efforts

Two months after Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria, a sense of desperation seems to be yielding to resignation at best. More than half of the island is still without power, and hundreds of thousands of residents are fleeing to the American mainland in an extraordinary exodus.

It has been weeks since President Donald Trump jovially tossed rolls of paper towels to needy fellow Americans and bragged about how successful the recovery effort was. But even the simplest symbols of government, like traffic lights, remain useless. Most of the Pentagon’s emergency troops have begun pulling out.

The storm’s official death count of about 55 on the island of 3.4 million may eventually be hundreds higher. Tens of thousands of jobs have been washed away. Thousands of small businesses remain closed, and even some hospitals remain on emergency generators.

The underlying question is what leadership role the federal government will play. Gov. Ricardo Rossello asked Congress this month for $94.4 billion in aid to help the island recover from Hurricane Maria. Congress has approved almost $5 billion so far, but a far firmer initiative and plan for the island’s recovery is needed from the Trump administration.

Mr. Trump is unfortunately remembered on the island for his scornful critique of local leaders. He tweeted, “They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort.” Rather than offering defeatist salvos, the president has a sworn responsibility to offer the support that Puerto Ricans deserve as American citizens trapped in a dire emergency.