Executive Inaction: Trump v. Harvey

October 31, 2017

It was said by Daryn A. Kagan, American broadcast journalist and former a news anchor for CNN, that “bad things do happen in the world, like war, natural disasters, disease. But out of those situations always arise stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

A natural disaster is an adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth.

These unpredictable events can cause loss of life, property damage, and economic damage that can cost billions of dollars worth of reconstruction bills to governments.

Despite these horrible occurrences, the severity of the disaster depends on the affected population’s resilience to recover from the event, according to munichre.com.

According to livescience.com, the United States is no exception to Mother Nature's unforeseeable ferocity. Surrounded by oceans on each coast and on the edge of the North Atlantic Plate (a tectonic plate that can cause earthquakes with its movement), America is just a vulnerable to natural disasters as Japan (who’s famous for its tsunamis), Haiti (who experienced a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake), and Chile (who was at the center of the powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that was strong enough to shift the planet's axis by 3 inches.

According to Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Kron, head of Hydrological Hazards in Geo Risks Research and RE expert for munichre.com, even the best management cannot actually prevent major loss events.

The focus must be on managing them- the keyword is resilience.

So what has the United States done in terms of reconstruction to the recent natural disasters that have plagued the country since the term of President H.W. Bush?

Actions of the President and the federal government have always been scrutinized by the people since the introduction of mass media, which allowed for easier communication access between Washington and the populous at home.

In wake of these natural disasters, the American people have responded to the resilience and reconstruction attempts of our most recent Presidents attempts at reconstruction in various ways.

One of the most vocal reactions since George W. Bush’s response (or lack thereof) to Hurricane Katrina were the actions of our current President, Donald Trump.

According to usanews.com, “Trump’s efforts at reassurance have been strong, and his leadership has been forceful, but so far he has not provided the emotional connection that many Americans would like to see.”

Trump’s response has been lacking in comparison to past presidents in terms of making a personal connection with the American people.

It’s well known that President Trump visited two crisis centers in Texas and talked with federal and state officials about making the rescue, relief and recovery efforts as effective as possible- a great first step to dealing with a natural disaster.

However, he did not meet, with hurricane victims as other presidents have done under the similar circumstances.

It was his lack of empathy with the American people where President Trump stumbled when dealing with the United States’ most recent and devastating natural disaster.

According to the Times- Picayune of New Orleans that was noted in an article written by the Washington Post on Trump’s response to Harvey, the city noted that when the President spoke at a fire station in Corpus Christi, Texas, Trump “remarked on the size of the crowd as if he were at a rally.”

To the Washington Post, “Trump emerges as a man of contradictions — a take-charge leader who struggles to strike the right tone. He resembles a skilled surgeon lacking in bedside manner.”

It’s already well known how a lack of response can be detrimental towards a President's reputation and how the people of American look upon them as a leader- George W. Bush and his slow, and seemingly detached response to Hurricane Katrina as an example.

On the front of federal aid and recovery, the executive is putting up a good show- however, the spirit of the American people is a deep, emotional connection that allows us a citizens to come together as one in times of need.

With this connection comes the need for a leader who can tie the knot to the American people's bow.

And unfortunately, compared to America’s leaders of the past, our 45th President cannot compete.