DON: HURRAY!CANE

Gives himself ‘perfect 10’ on struggling PR

President Trump gave his administration a perfect “10” on Thursday for its response to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, despite continued power outages and the lack of basic services like running water.

“I would give myself a 10,” Trump said Thursday as he sat next to Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló at the White House.

“I’d say it was probably the most difficult when you talk about relief, when you talk about search, when you talk about all of the different levels, and even when you talk about lives saved,” Trump said.

Rosselló, who was lobbying for more assistance from Washington four weeks after Hurricane Maria slammed into the US commonwealth, sidestepped Trump’s request to rate his response.

Trump asked, “Did we do a good job?”

Rosselló (right) replied, “You responded immediately, sir.”

The two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico last month — first Irma, then Maria — were “in many ways worse than anything people have ever seen,” Trump said.

“They got hit by a Category 4. Grazed. But grazed about, you know, a big portion of the island.

“But it was grazed. The rest of it hit Florida, as you know. But that was bad. But then they got hit dead center . . . by a Category 5 . . . It hit right through the middle of the island, right through the middle of Puerto Rico. There’s never been anything like that. I give ourselves a 10.”

Trump has been faulted for his administration’s sluggish response to provide relief, especially when compared with the aid operations after hurricanes hit Florida and Texas, and for his comments that FEMA and the US military couldn’t stay in Puerto Rico indefinitely.

Even now, only 22 percent of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million residents have electricity and just 72 percent have access to clean water. About 78 percent of hospitals are open.

Trump said that despite the best efforts of emergency personnel, getting help to the residents was a logistical nightmare because the storm wrecked infrastructure and many of the roads were blocked by debris,

Remarking on Puerto Rico’s $74 billion in debt, Trump said a plan would be worked out for the island to repay any loans during the rebuilding process.

“I will say that I have given my blessing to Congress, and Congress is working with you and your representatives on coming up with a plan and a payment plan and how it’s all going to be funded,” he told Rosselló.

The Senate is considering giving Puerto Rico $4.9 billion in loans as part of a hurricane- and wildfire-relief bill.