A Category 10 hurricane rolled into Austin, and it’s not Harvey. President Donald Trump was confirmed to land in Austin around 2:25 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29.

Much of the public is waiting to see how he will be handle the issue of this natural disaster. So far he has done nothing to relieve the residents of Texas. His first instinct after Harvey hit was to turn to the most professional form of presidential statements: Twitter.

On Sunday night, Trump took to tweeting out, “HISTORIC rainfall in Houston, and all over Texas. Floods are unprecedented, and more rain coming. Spirit of the people is incredible. Thanks!”

President Trump has not responded to the hurricane as a leader should. His unsympathetic words about the “unprecedented” floods and the “historic rainfall” that has left Texas in a catastrophic situation did nothing to reassure the public. In fact, Trump’s tweet makes it seem as though he is excited about the devastation. Many of his tweets marvel at the “worst storm/hurricane” people have ever seen, and the “record setting rainfall” that is unrelenting over the coast of Texas. Tweeting insensitive messages such as these create feelings of despair within the area that was hit. We need a president that supports the people and takes action during difficult times. Praising the disaster or brushing it away is not how a leader should act.

“I understand coming to Austin and not to Houston right now because Houston is a mess right now and that is a dangerous situation for the president to be in even if I don’t agree with his opinions,” Aven Wright-Egbert ‘18 said. “But I think primarily the issue here is that even if he is coming to Austin to address it, he is not taking the action that is needed in the face of this devastation.”

While visiting Corpus Christi earlier on Tuesday, President Trump bragged about the crowd who met him as he landed. “What a crowd,” he said. “What a turnout.” Instead of addressing plans of action to his audience, he boasted about how it was a historic moment for both himself and Texas.

“I think it’s always a good thing to be able to face your constituents and the people who are judging you on your actions,” math teacher Ms. Tracy Stephens said.

Texas officials have said that at least 13 people have been reported dead in wake of the hurricane. Trump and his administration have said nothing about the losses at this time. To better fulfill his duty as president, Trump should change his tactics and stop talking about himself. It’s time for the leader of our country to step up and understand his position in this trying time.