Proving they are the opposition party, journalists completely switched complaints when it comes to the subject of Republican presidents and Hurricanes. While reporters spun George W. Bush as callously staying away from Hurricane Katrina, MSNBC’s Katy Tur on Monday whined about Hurricane Harvey: “[Donald Trump is] going to Texas tomorrow and there's real concern that his going there is going to have to divert, at least a little bit, some resources away from the rescue effort and toward him.”
Talking to ex-Congressman Tom Davis, she chided, “The President is going to Corpus Christi and he will be diverting at the very least some resources away from them. There's an ongoing search and rescue effort underway in Houston and the other areas that have been devastated so far by these floods that could only intensify and get worse by tomorrow. Do you think it's the right thing to go?”
Peter Alexander touted Obama aides to make this point: “Some of President Obama's old aides say they support the idea that the President would go down there, but this is simply too soon.” Well, if Obama aides say it, it must be so. Right?
Over on CBS, Gayle King wondered if it’s the “best time” for Trump to visit Texas.
A partial transcript is below:
MTP Daily
8/28/17
5:04pm ETKATY TUR: He's going to Texas tomorrow and there's real concern that his going there is going to have to divert at least a little bit, some resources away from the rescue effort and toward him.
PETER ALEXANDER: Yeah. I think it's premature to make any judgments about how the federal response has been to this hurricane and there's still torrential rains that are falling in large parts, large swaths of Texas and in Louisiana, which is the very point that a lot of people are making today as the President prepares to head, as we understand it from White House officials, likely to Corpus Christi, Texas, with his first stop tomorrow morning, Corpus Christi where the hurricane hit. Governor Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas saying the intention is that the president wouldn’t go to Houston where the emergency responses still so active, where the evacuations are still taking place. The President insisting that he wants to go down there. White House officials really view this as a moment to demonstrate their support for the people of Texas. But obviously as you note, it takes resources for a presidential trip like this. And some of the president Obama's old aides say they support the idea that the President would go down there, but this is simply too soon. Katy?
....
TUR [To ex-Rep. Tom Davis]: The President is going to Corpus Christi and he will be diverting at the very least some resources away from them. There's an ongoing search and rescue effort underway in Houston and the other areas that have been devastated so far by these floods that could only intensify and get worse by tomorrow. Do you think it's the right thing to go?
DAVIS: Well, I don’t know. You lose either way. You’re either too late or you’re too early. I think whatever this president does is going to come under some criticism at this point.
