Trump is about to bungle another natural disaster


While the third night of the Republican National Convention progressed, Hurricane Laura was bearing down on Louisiana and Texas. At time of writing, it had reportedly strengthened nearly to Category 5 status, and may end up being one of the 10 strongest hurricanes ever recorded making landfall on the continental U.S.
Yet the looming hurricane was barely mentioned during the night's convention proceedings, including a brief note during the opening prayer and a short aside from Vice President Mike Pence. "Our administration is working closely with authorities in the states that will be impacted," he said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency "has mobilized resources and supplies for those in harm's way."
In reality, there is little doubt that the Trump administration is going to botch the response to this onrushing disaster. Trump did not manage the response to Hurricane Harvey well, and did almost nothing in response to Hurricane Maria. In Puerto Rico after the latter storm, nearly 3,000 people died in large part because the island went so long without power, cleanup, or rebuilding. We are also months into a viral pandemic that he has catastrophically bungled.
Subscribe to 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.
What's more, today state budgets have been hamstrung by the coronavirus economic collapse, and Republicans refuse to rescue them. Trump also recently diverted a bunch of FEMA money to pay for a brief boost to unemployment benefits because his party didn't want to authorize additional funding through Congress. When a gormless reality TV host is president, this is the kind of thing that tends to happen.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.
-
Kirsty Coventry: the former Olympian and first woman to lead the IOC
In the Spotlight Coventry, a former competitive swimmer, won two Olympic gold medals
-
Critics' choice: Carrying the flag
Feature The best barbecue in town, Bradley Cooper's cheesesteak restaurant, and more
-
Film review: Materialists
Feature Two suitors seek to win over a jaded matchmaker
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Is Trump's military parade 'just a parade'?
Talking Point Critics see an 'echo of authoritarianism'
-
Is Trump's LA troop deployment about order or authoritarianism?
Talking Points President: 'We're going to have troops everywhere.'
-
Is Trump trying to take over Congress?
Talking Points Separation of powers at stake in Library of Congress fight
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tour
Talking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate run
Today's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
-
Bombs or talks: What's next in the US-Iran showdown?
Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration