Trump talked about everything but hurricanes at his FEMA hurricane preparedness meeting
While meeting with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials Wednesday, President Trump offered a few brief words about hurricane preparedness and Puerto Rico. But he had a lot to say about, well, everything else.
The Washington Post obtained audio of the private meeting, which demonstrated Trump's meandering stream of consciousness while operating without a script. The meeting was ostensibly to prepare for the 2018 hurricane season, which began this month, but Trump only briefly mentioned Puerto Rico, where more than 4,500 people are believed to have died in the aftermath of September's Hurricane Maria. The Post said that Trump didn't mention the victims, instead praising the response to the disaster.
The president quickly moved on from the topic of hurricanes, saying "we'll maybe make a deal" with North Korea during Tuesday's summit in Singapore. "Maybe and maybe not. Who knows?" He commented on the California elections, bragging that "we won every seat that I endorsed" and analyzing the polls that he's "not sure" he believes.
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.
Trump also oddly focused on airplane price negotiations, complaining that the military unnecessarily wants all-new aircraft equipment that can be pricey. Without evidence, he claimed that he managed to bring plane prices down "by millions of dollars." Read more of Trump's off-topic comments, ranging from coal companies to Apple to his popularity, at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Could a part-and-part mortgage help you on to the property ladder?Combining repayment and interest-only mortgages could become more popular as part of a push towards more flexible lending
-
Is social media over?Today’s Big Question We may look back on 2025 as the moment social media jumped the shark
-
Should parents stop tracking their kids?Talking Point Experts warn the line between care and control is getting murkier – and could have consequences
-
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
