Trump has spent years blasting Puerto Rican officials while opposing spending to rebuild a power grid and other infrastructure that was wiped out by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to divert disaster-recovery funds from Puerto Rico to help pay for a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The scope of the devastation is so broad, and the relief effort so concentrated in San Juan, that many people from outside the capital say they have received little to no help.

Puerto Rico is suffering a humanitarian crisis after being hit by Hurricane Maria, with thousands of people without power, water or even phone service.

The president said Tuesday is the earliest he can visit without disrupting hurricane recovery operations.

Maria hammered the island when it made landfall as a Category 4 storm Wednesday with winds nearing 250 km/h, the strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in over 80 years.