| | | | Donald Trump's 'Harvey' test | | Natural disasters are often defining moments for politicians. Underestimate a snowstorm or get caught looking out of touch when a hurricane hits and it could well haunt your political career forever.
Which brings us to Hurricane Harvey and President Trump.
Harvey is barreling down on the Gulf Coast and is expected to be a Category 3 hurricane before it makes landfall Saturday morning in Corpus Christi.
Friday morning, Trump made his first public statement on the storm -- via Twitter. He tweeted:
"I have spoken w/ @GovAbbott of Texas and @LouisianaGov Edwards. Closely monitoring #HurricaneHarvey developments & here to assist as needed."
CNN's Jeremy Diamond reported around 6:30 p.m. ET that Thomas Bossert, the homeland security adviser, said Trump might issue a major disaster declaration before Hurricane Harvey makes landfall.
As the storm ramps up -- particularly if some of the most dire weather forecasts come true -- Trump will be tested in ways he hasn't been yet in either his presidency or his life.
At its core, a natural disaster forces a president to step into the breach and assure people in the affected region not just that he is paying attention but that he is empathizing and sympathizing with them.
Empathy has never been a Trump strength. His swing and miss on calming jangled nerves in the wake of the Charlottesville protests earlier this month put even more pressure on him to find ways to be a unifying and reassuring presence as Harvey batters the Gulf Coast.
Keep watch on Trump's Twitter feed -- and his White House over the weekend. Does Trump leave off settling personal scores via Twitter for a few days as he tries to project strength and leadership amid the hurricane? Does he speak publicly once the extent of the damage is known? Does he head to the region sometime next week?
Questions without answers right now. But questions where Trump needs to find the right answer over the next 96 hours.
-- Chris | | | Here are some social media reactions to Hurricane Harvey. | | | What I liked on the Internet today: | | President Trump on Friday officially signed a directive banning transgender military recruits.
Per Jeremy's article, Trump has "directed the military not to move forward with an Obama-era plan that would have allowed transgender individuals to be recruited into the armed forces.
The guidance comes a month after Trump said on Twitter that he would reinstate a ban on transgender troops, "an announcement that took many in the military's leadership -- including the joint chiefs of staff -- by surprise." | | "I'm sorry but the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead."
That's a fiery line in T. Swift's new jam "Look What You Made Me Do," which many speculate is about Kimye.
The music video is scheduled to come out at the Video Music Awards on Sunday, but people are bashing the teaser because some think it rips off Beyonce's "Lemonade" single "Formation." | | We asked, you answered! Thanks for all the thoughtful responses to our question asking you your thoughts on the White House renovations (which CNN's Betsy Klein wrote about yesterday).
Here are some of your reactions, sent to us via email: - "Absolute waste of big bucks, at the taxpayers expense. Trump has already depleted the secret service budget with his far too many trips to his far too many golf courses and hotels. He's said the White House is 'ugly'.. so no amount of renovation will please that guy." -Barry T.
- "The Oval Office can be renovated to the taste of the president as long as walls are not moved around and money is not wasted for things that are not necessary. Why a new rug when the one I have seen works fine? They are VERY expensive." -Susan D.
- "It just strikes me as ironic that there is so much weight placed on attention to detail of many kinds during the renovation process - when the president himself is not, how do I say it, a 'details person' in his policy and general lifestyle. It's a different story with his tweets targeted towards specific people. So, like this administration, things don't make a ton of sense. Plenty of eyebrow-raising and irony though." -Joy C.
| | Kasich-Hickenlooper 2020? Maybe.
The Republican Ohio governor and the Democratic Colorado governor "have entertained the idea of forming a unity presidential ticket to run for the White House in 2020," a source involved the discussions told CNN's Mark Preston. (The news was first reported by Mike Allen of Axios).
Preston wrote: "Under this scenario, Kasich, a Republican, and Hickenlooper, a Democrat, would run as independents with Kasich at the top of the ticket, said the source, who cautioned it has only been casually talked about."
But how likely is this? Chris outlined five reasons to be skeptical of the news.
For more 2020, see CNN's Eric Bradner's memo. | | The Republican National Committee traveled to Nashville this week for its summer meeting…
CNN's Sophie Tatum writes:
There, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel spoke on a number of topics, and reiterated her condemnation of various hate groups. In addition to McDaniel's comments, the RNC also unanimously passed a resolution that specifically condemned "the violence and racist beliefs of white supremacists demonstrating in Charlottesville, VA on August 12, 2017."
The resolution states: "the racist beliefs of Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and other like-minded groups are completely inconsistent with the Republican Party's platform that states 'all Americans stand equal before the law' and their racist agenda has no place in the United States."
The resolution comes just weeks after the country saw heightened racial tensions following a white supremacy rally in Charlottesville that turned violent. President Donald Trump was widely criticized for his varied responses to the violence. | | | Photo courtesy: YouTube/Screengrab/Saturday Night Live | | Alec Baldwin dropped by NBC's "Weekend Update" Thursday to reprise his role as Trump, this time impersonating POTUS at his campaign rally in Arizona ... while wearing solar eclipse glasses.
"As we all know, there was a tragic victim that came out of Charlottesville: me," Baldwin said in character. Maybe he was inspired by Chris' story from Wednesday about how Trump "always plays the victim card."
Do you love Baldwin's impression? Hate it? Sick of it? Email us your thoughts: saba.hamedy@cnn.com and chris.cillizza@cnn.com. | | HBD NATIONAL PARK SERVICE! | | Happy 101st birthday to the National Park Service! CNN's Brenna Williams writes:
National Park Service doesn't look a year over 100! Everyone knows the NPS is in charge of some of the greatest outdoors that the US has to offer -- Yosemite, Denali and the Everglades come to mind -- but some of the true gems under its purview are the historical sites and monuments.
NPS is continuing its #FindYourPark campaign, but for those of us who might not be so keen on #sunshine #thewilderness #bugbites (cc: Saba), you might find your park at one of these places, some of which you might not expect: - Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas: For when you want show your kids how lucky they to start the school year without chaos
- Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site in California: For the secret introvert who wants to feel like they could become America's next Nobel Prize-winning playwright
- Manhattan Project National Historical Park: This one has three locations -- in New Mexico, Washington and Tennessee -- so it would be best for someone who wants to take a journey
- Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in New York: The only National Historic Site dedicated to a first lady, this one is good when you need a reminder that women are pretty dang cool
- Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC: The site of the Lincoln assassination is still a working theater, sure to please the history buff and the drama nerd in the family
| |  | | H/T Brenna, per usual | | | Gearing up for the weekend in style. Don't forget to remind all your coolest -- or nerdiest -- friends to subscribe. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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