President Barack Obama visits FEMA for an update on the recovery from Hurricane Sandy on Nov. 3, 2012, in Washington. | AP Photo How Trump used Hurricane Sandy to fuel Obama birther conspiracy

Donald Trump has so far avoided seeking any overt political advantage as monstrous Hurricane Matthew bears down on Florida, instead offering his prayers to residents in the swing state and advising them in a tweet Wednesday to “please be careful.”

But the Donald Trump of 2012 — then a vocal supporter of Mitt Romney for president — wasn’t so restrained.


As superstorm Sandy pummeled northern New Jersey and parts of New York City just a week before Election Day, Trump’s immediate instinct was to lament that the disaster appeared to be a political win for President Barack Obama and exploit it to further his birther conspiracies.

“Hurricane is good luck for Obama again- he will buy the election by handing out billions of dollars,” Trump tweeted on the morning of Oct. 30, less than a day after the storm devastated the region.

Just minutes later, he reiterated a call for Obama to produce his college records and passport application — part of his quest to undermine Obama’s legitimacy as president: “Because of the hurricane, I am extending my 5 million dollar offer for President Obama's favorite charity until 12PM on Thursday.”

Trump had made the $5 million offer a week earlier, suggesting that it would end “questions” about Obama’s past. It came more than a year after Obama released his long-form birth certificate following Trump’s multi-year campaign questioning Obama’s citizenship. In seeking Obama’s college records, Trump mused that the college records might list a different place of birth.

Later in the same afternoon, Trump tweeted once again: “The polls & momentum are trending towards @MittRomney. Don't let the hurricane change your thinking!” And by the next day, Halloween, Trump seemed defeated: “I'm concerned about the hurricane & that people will vote for Obama because he's ‘bravely standing in water.’” He followed that up later in the afternoon: “Obama is now standing in a puddle acting like a President--give me a break.”

Trump did offer some solace for Sandy victims, acknowledging praise he received for keeping his Trump Tower atrium open. “Thanks for all the nice words on my keeping the Trump Tower atrium accessible to stranded victims of #Sandy. My honor,” he wrote. He described sheltering “hundreds of people” and providing free coffee and food. On the fourth day after the storm, Trump tweeted that he was sending out bottled water to Long Island and Staten Island.

But his social media response to the storm was largely political. He even saw an advantage for Romney in what he described as post-storm “rioting.”

“Could be the hurricane helps @MittRomney--people are rioting in the streets over gasoline,” he said.

After Obama won the election, Trump attributed it to positive feelings about his leadership during Sandy recovery. “Polls show that the hurricane had a huge positive effect for Obama on his win- isn't that ridiculous?” he wondered.

But by Thanksgiving week, Trump’s tone had softened. “Remember victims of Hurricane Sandy during Thanksgiving. Many will not be celebrating the holiday in comfort. Their lives are in turmoil!”