Donald Trump did his presidential duty today, jetting down to Irma-ravaged Naples, Florida, to comfort hurricane victims, primarily by passing them hoagies. The pool reporter on duty dutifully covered Donald Trump attempting to act like a human being:
Trump stood behind a silver tin of hoagies, cut in half and wrapped in cellophane. Melania was near bottled water and Pence near the bananas. Trump paused to try to put on thin white plastic gloves but struggled. [...] “They’re too small,” Trump said.
He did this exact same schtick in Texas—and I'm not sure Mike Pence is allowed to be near bananas without his wife present. But no matter: it's hoagie time.
Another man in a Trump t-shirt and hat shook his hand and Trump told him to turn around to photographers. The president was smiling as the man yelled, “Make America great again!”
It's a bit odd that people in a disaster zone would be wearing Trump T-shirts and shouting political slogans, but whatever.
A woman holding a small dog shook hands with Potus. “Are you a biker?” Trump wondered. “The bikers love us.” He slapped her on the shoulder with a broad grin.
For a man who can't seem to wrap his head around even the most basic content of legislative efforts he furiously insists must be passed, he clearly has an encyclopedic accounting of precisely which sub-sub-subgroups in America are fond of him.
Another man then yelled out: “Where was Obama during the last hurricane? On the golf course!” The man shook with Potus and Trump asked if he’d voted for him. “Best vote of your life?” Trump asked.
At this point a question presents itself: Did Donald Trump's handlers screen the crowd he was ostensibly giving disaster relief to? No, really … did they?
At that point, WH aides pulled the press corps away and we loaded vans back to helos.
Oh well. I suppose we'll never know.