Trump 'put to the test' as he visits Texas floods devastation
His words and actions will be pored over - with advisers well aware of the savage criticism President Bush received over Katrina.
Wednesday 30 August 2017 02:06, UK
Hurricane Harvey is a human disaster, a catastrophe which has destroyed homes, taken lives and ripped apart infrastructure.
In the post-Katrina world, natural disasters of this magnitude in America are also hugely significant political moments, providing a test of a president's ability to respond and to unify a wounded state and a worried country.
President Trump's visit to Corpus Christi on the Texas Gulf is intended to show his commitment to coordinating the response, now and in the future.
He landed with the First Lady with a string of meetings planned with local officials and politicians.
But he won't be able to make it to the worst-hit areas and on Air Force One his Press Secretary said he wanted to avoid getting in the way of the recovery effort.
At a news conference at the White House, Mr Trump said he planned to make a second trip to the region at the weekend, to Louisiana.
His tone was measured, serious and intended to reassure people.
In the wake of a divisive few weeks in the US, he called for unity: "We are one America…we hurt together, we struggle together and, believe me, we endure together. We are one family."
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He has been more sparing on Twitter, turning more to official announcements than personal pronouncements.
His praise for federal officials echoed his positivity over the weekend.
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas commended the White House decision to quickly declare the state a disaster area and free up resources.
Soon after the President's arrival, he said: "About 10 days in advance of the hurricane, even coming in to the Corpus Christi area, members of the President's cabinet and the President himself were in contact with me and my office pre-preparing for this catastrophe coming our way.
"Every step of the way as the hurricane came across the shore, as the flooding began in Houston, Texas, the President and his cabinet remained in constant contact with me and my staff, and they all had one thing to say: 'Texas, what do you need? how can we help?'"
Hurricane Harvey is unpredictable and the worst of it could come in the next few days.
Twelve years ago, with Hurricane Katrina, early organisation was replaced with a fiery blame game and major political consequences for every player.
The President has promised to push a major recovery plan through Congress and is hoping for bipartisan support.
He may well be right and those Republicans who didn't back a Hurricane Sandy package may well have a different take this time round.
Those working in the field say the President seems engaged and focused on the Harvey response.
He knows the construction world and aides say he's asking a lot of questions about water damages on buildings and getting involved in detailed conversations at the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) briefings.
He and his team are deeply aware of the impact of George W Bush's slow response to Katrina. The images of him flying above a catastrophe from the comfort of his plane were disastrous politically.
But Mr Trump looks genuinely affected by the pictures of devastation from Houston.
It was the vivid scenes from Syria of children dying from a gas attack that led him to order airstrikes against the President Assad in April.
In Texas, Mr Trump and his team have a chance to show decisiveness and demonstrate the ability to unify.
But the weather, just like the political challenges it produces, are very precarious. A tweet or a taunt could easily muddy the waters.
When Harvey made landfall on Friday, President Trump was defending his decision to pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Those interventions could prove politically explosive as the suffering and dangers deepen.
In the short term, Americans will be looking for practical and emotional support and a president that can show he cares. Another leader looking detached and unmoved will find it hard to survive.
Donald Trump has an ability to connect on the ground with people. Here, that skill will be put to the test. What he does and says, will be crucial. This is a crisis that will last years.