Heidi M. Przybyla

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – President Trump, who is visiting Puerto Rico next week, said the storm-ravaged island "has been wiped out" and is "totally unable" to handle the crisis on its own.

"Therefore we’re forced to bring in truck drivers, security and many, many other personnel... We’ve never seen a situation like this," he said in a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Trump said Puerto Rico's electrical grid and other infrastructure was "already in very, very poor shape" before Hurricane Maria hit.