Trump’s superpower is his outspoken aggressiveness, and his kryptonite is his petty self-centeredness.

Unfortunately, he married the two during Hurricane Idalia and behaved like an ass.

I wavered on writing this post because I didn’t want to wade too deeply into presidential politics while riffing on a natural disaster, but since Trump spent the last 72 hours blasting Governor DeSantis while he was actually doing a superb job making the lives of Floridians better I have to comment.

Former president Donald Trump has decided not to hold his fire on Florida Governor and fellow GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis as he manages the Sunshine State’s response to Hurricane Idalia, instead resolving to use it to his political advantage.

“So now it is learned that Governor Ron DeSanctimonious unnecessarily approved a 20% hike in Florida Electricity Rates, the largest in history (by far!), after taking a 9.5 Million Dollar Campaign Contribution from “money machine” Florida Power and Light, and subsidiaries,” began Trump on Truth Social Thursday morning. “Next up to check out is the Insurance Industry, where DeSanctus gave up the store. His campaign and poll numbers have ‘CRASHED’ to a point where it doesn’t much matter anymore, but what a shame for Florida!”

While Trump’s focus has been on his own campaign since the hurricane made landfall, DeSantis has eschewed campaigning to concentrate on preparing for and responding to the natural disaster.

Trump Lashes Out At DeSantis as He Manages Hurricane: ‘What a Shame for Florida!’ https://t.co/7RP1rdNzVl

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) August 31, 2023

Starting a couple of days ago it was rumored that Trump sent out the word that he didn’t want any of his supporters to do anything that might make DeSantis look good–including sharing public announcements about the storm. I didn’t bother to write about it because it may have been propaganda to make Trump look bad, although subsequent searches of Trump’s followers showed that even Trump’s Florida-based influencers were remarkably silent about the storm as it crashed into the state.

It sure looks like Trump sent out the word to stay quiet. But perhaps they decided to do this on their own.

But there is no question about Trump’s actions themselves. The guy sent out tens of “Truths” attacking DeSantis throughout the storm, producing a hurricane of invective aimed at the governor as he spent 20-hour days working to mitigate the damage.

Trump dumped over 30 videos of himself on Truth Social since the hurricane hit. About himself and his campaign. He even spent a good amount of time specifically attacking DeSantis–including about the hurricane itself–while DeSantis was dealing with the storm and its aftermath.

A deadly Cat 3 hurricane slammed into a particularly vulnerable area of FL, Trump’s home state, and neither he nor his surrogates have issued one word of support to the victims.

His Truth feed is all about him and re-posting himself from last week.

Shameful. pic.twitter.com/LMBFno7wWu

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) August 30, 2023

That isn’t classless. It is deranged. Is Trump so narcissistic that he saw DeSantis doing his job–especially well, by the way–as an opportunity to stick a knife in the guy’s back?

Apparently yes. During the height of the hurricane Trump called on DeSantis and others to drop out of the presidential race.

Yes, Trump used the hurricane to demand DeSantis get out of the presidential race. Again.

Trump and several of his surrogates live in Florida, where DeSantis is grappling with a storm. But Trump is fixated on polls, while his surrogates are dutifully avoiding praising DeSantis for how he's handling the hurricane. These people do not care about anything but themselves. https://t.co/diDRUfsmQq

— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) August 30, 2023

Trump did eventually send out a message to the people of Florida–long after the worst of the storm passed and he had been pummeled by critics for ignoring the storm entirely. It was worse than too little, too late. It was a slap in the face to everybody who had endured the storm without a word of support from the man–just demands that others bow to his superiority.

There is so much to like about what Trump has done, and so little to like about the guy himself. He is a narcissist, pure and simple.

I understand why people think Trump is the best candidate for president in 2024–I disagree wholeheartedly, but I get the argument.

But what I can’t understand is why anybody would argue that Trump has behaved like anything other than a spoiled child during this crisis. Trump has been spending this time comfortably ensconced in New Jersey while DeSantis has been doing the hard work of governing–governing so well that even Democrats are praising his efforts.

The least Trump could do is STFU.

It’s times like this I am reminded why so many people are repelled by the guy.