When President Trump stopped by Texas on Tuesday to survey the damage wrought by Tropical Storm Harvey, he tried very hard not to jump the gun and congratulate himself. Instead, he promised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) that he'd wait to metaphorically pat them both on the back once the disastrous storm and the subsequent recovery effort was over.
"We won't say congratulations. We don't want to do that. You know, we don't want to congratulate. We'll congratulate each other when it's all finished," Trump told Abbott at meeting with local officials. "But you have been terrific."
Trump certainly tried to stay measured — but perhaps he should've tried harder, considering how much flak former President George W. Bush caught in 2005 for prematurely congratulating former FEMA Director Michael Brown's handling of Hurricane Katrina. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," Bush said during a post-hurricane tour, while thousands of survivors had no food or water. Brown resigned 10 days later.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As Trump talked about the storm that "was of epic proportion," he also took a moment to marvel at how FEMA Administrator Brock Long's fame has skyrocketed thanks to Harvey. While thanking Long, Trump referred to him as "a man who really has become very famous on television in the last couple of days."
When he stepped outside after the briefing, Trump reportedly commented: "What a crowd, what a turnout."
-
What would a UK deployment to Ukraine look like?Today's Big Question Security agreement commits British and French forces in event of ceasefire
-
Nicolás Maduro: from bus driver to Venezuela’s presidentIn the Spotlight Shock capture by US special forces comes after Maduro’s 12-year rule proved that ‘underestimating him was a mistake’
-
Artemis II: back to the MoonThe Explainer Four astronauts will soon be blasting off into deep space – the first to do so in half a century
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
