Hurricane Harvey offers US President Donald Trump the opportunity to show empathy – but can he deliver?
More than 1 million people have been displaced by Harvey and up to 50 are feared dead in flooding that paralysed Houston and swelled river levels to record highs
For a man who prefers to project a glowering brusqueness, Donald Trump’s trip to Houston on Saturday will provide him with the opportunity to show a warmer, more empathetic side – and perhaps connect with some Americans critical of his presidency.
Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, became known as the “comforter-in-chief” for his role in consoling victims of mass shootings and terror attacks. But the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey marks the first large-scale national tragedy under Trump’s watch.
The White House said Trump will first travel to Houston to meet with flood survivors and volunteers who assisted in relief efforts and then will move on to Lake Charles, Louisiana, another area hammered by the storm.
Trump first visited the region on Tuesday, but stayed clear of the disaster zone, saying he did not want to hamper rescue efforts. Instead, he met with cabinet members, state and local leaders, and first responders.
He was criticised, however, for not meeting with victims of the worst storm to hit Texas in 50 years, and for largely focusing on the logistics of the government response rather than the suffering of residents.
“That was reasonable criticism,” said Matt Mackowiak, chairman of the Republican Party in Travis County, Texas, who has praised the Trump administration’s handling of the disaster.
