https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vZfMVRGgBA

Trump’s Puerto Rico event was way worse than his tweets

While Trump’s comments about the relatively small number of deaths will draw the most attention — and rightly so — there’s so much else in Trump’s relatively brief comments that speaks to the fact that he lacks the empathy gene. Among them:
* “It’s a great trip. Your weather is second to none but every once in a while you get hit. And you really got hit.”

Your weather is second to none? The country has literally been leveled by a hurricane.

* “You’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack. We’ve spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico.”

Trump was, ostensibly, joking about how much money the recovery efforts were costing him. Listen to the audio and see how many people laughed. Also, this is like buying the school textbooks your kid needs and then repeatedly reminding him how much the books costs and how he kind of, sort of owes you.

* “He started right at the beginning appreciating what we did…He was giving us the highest grades.”

Trump is praising Puerto Rico’s Gov. Ricardo Rosselló here — but really he is praising himself. This governor, who I didn’t know before this storm, said nice things about me. Which you should hear. Because people are saying some not nice things.

* “She was saying such nice things about all of the people who have worked so hard. Jenniffer, do you think you can say a little bit about what you said about us?”

Trump is referring here to Puerto Rico Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, who he says he “watched’ (on TV of course) say nice things about how Trump and his administration handled the hurricane. After Gonzalez-Colon finished praising Trump, the president added: “We saw those comments and everyone saw those comments.

* “General Kelly is a four star. You don’t get any better than a four star.”

Trump is very keen on highlighting the accomplishments of the generals on his staff — most notably his chief of staff John Kelly. But, why is Kelly’s military rank relevant when it comes to Puerto Rico’s recovery? Watch the video. Kelly seems wholly uncomfortable being trotted out by Trump in this moment.
The whole 13+ minutes is surreal. Time and time again, Trump makes the whole thing about him — using the various officials, military and otherwise, around him to reinforce the ideas that he is doing a great job. On display is someone wholly wrapped up in himself, incapable of understanding that this moment — on the ground of a historic natural disaster for the Puerto Rican people –was not about him.