For a critical three or four days after Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, President Trump was away at his New Jersey golf resort, ranting about the NFL and generally not paying attention.
It now seems that wasn’t merely a matter of optics and presidential statements.
Critical time was lost and things didn’t happen.
Once the scope of catastrophe began to become clear, Trump’s inaction began to generate criticism.
Once that happened Trump proceeded to fold Puerto Rico into his comfort zone politics of grievance and narcissism.
The focus shifted to Puerto Rico’s debt, ingratitude and – finally this morning – laziness and disorganization.
Trump has brought nothing but shame on us all.