Reporter: “Was there a reason the President didn’t talk that much about the people who were actually killed in the storm, the people who were displaced, who have been left homeless?”
After spending much of the day in Texas, the President and the First Lady returned home to Washington, D.C. aboard Air Force One. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders held a press gaggle with reporters on the plane. She was asked about Trump’s stunning lack of empathy towards the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Her answer was just as stunning.
Many across the nation were shocked and saddened that President Trump did not meet with a single victim of Hurricane Harvey during his visit to Corpus Christi and Austin, and did not even mention the name of a single person who died – even a local police officer who drowned. Trump did not say a single word about anyone who died, did not say anything about the (at lest) hundreds of thousands, or possibly millions, who have been displaced, did not seem to grasp the tremendous emotional impact Hurricane Harvey has had on millions of people across Texas, and exhibited absolutely zero empathy.
The President did manage to turn his stop in Corpus Christi into a campaign event, telling people who came to see him he was impressed with the size of the crowd.Â
A CNN reporter, and a former Bush 43 Press Secretary, Ari Fletcher, both made very public comments Tuesday about Trump’s lack of empathy. The Dallas Morning News press pool also reported Trump said nothing about the dead and dying.
On the plane back to DC, a reporter asked Sarah Huckabee Sanders about it.
“Was there a reason the President didn’t talk that much about the people who were actually killed in the storm, the people who were displaced, who have been left homeless?” a reporter, who was not identified in the official White House transcript, asked. “It seemed like the focus was more on making sure the federal government was working well with state and local officials. And could you speak to just what his reaction was when he saw the images in Houston? It sounds like he watched some of that on the plane.”
Here’s what Huckabee Sanders had to say in response:
“I don’t think you could deny the powerful effects that some of the images that we’ve seen over the past couple of days. Certainly something that I know is very moving both to the President and the First Lady. One of the reasons she really wanted to be part of the trip today. I think he’s made very clear the priority is taking care of the people and doing whatever we can, but also letting the state and local officials take the lead in that process. And we’re going to continue doing everything we can from our side to help in that.”
That’s it.
To be fair, Huckabee Sanders at the beginning of the gaggle called it “a very powerful day, a strong day.” She added that the “number-one thing after talking to [President trump] just a little bit ago that he wanted to reinforce from today was that this is all about people and making sure that we’re taking care of the people of Texas. And that’s his number-one priority.”
Being President isn’t just about ensuring all the gears of Washington are operating smoothly – and Trump certainly has failed at that. It’s also about speaking for those who cannot, about setting the right tone, about uniting Americans, and about remembering our humanity.
Donald Trump has proven repeatedly, but especially at this most important juncture, that he is incapable of doing that.
RELATED:
‘What a Turnout!’: Trump in Texas Thinks His Hurricane Harvey Visit is a Campaign Stop
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