Trump marvels at how Harvey 'sounds like such an innocent name' — but 'it's not innocent'

What's in a name, President Trump pondered Tuesday as he visited Texas in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey. "Harvey. Sounds like such an innocent name, Ben, right?" Trump said to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. "But it's not innocent." Trump also called the deadly storm "no angel."

At another point, Trump noted that "probably there's never been something so expensive in our country's history" as the flooding in Texas, which has left an estimated 30,000 people displaced. "The sad thing is that this is long term. Nobody's ever seen anything this long and nobody's ever seen this much water," Trump said. Regarding the Harvey floodwaters, Trump reportedly remarked: "It's maybe someday going to disappear. We keep waiting."

Earlier in the day, Trump marveled at the "turnout" outside his briefing in Corpus Christi, Texas; remarked on how FEMA Administrator Brock Long "has become very famous on television in the last couple days"; and assured Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) that they could "congratulate each other when it's all finished."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

A White House pooler noted in a report that "reporters heard no mention of the dead, dying, or displaced Texans, and no expression of sympathy for them."