President Donald Trump is receiving heat for his decision to hold a political rally in Erie, Pennsylvania last night, mere hours after a deadly and disastrous category four hurricane hit the Florida panhandle.

Perhaps Fox & Friends talent and producers checked Mediaite.com’s current lead story to see Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough blasting the Commander in Chief for “holding a pep rally” while people in Flordia were suffering and dying because co-host Steve Doocy addressed the criticism shortly after that article was published.

“The president of the United States was taking a little heat from people saying hey, you know, the people down in Florida are suffering how can you go to your trump rally in Pennsylvania,” Doocy said before explaining that Trump altruistically didn’t “want to let down all the people already in line.”

But then he explained that Trump started his speech by “talking about thoughts and prayers of the people down there.”

Co-host Ainsley Earhardt then chimed in defending the Commander in Chief noting “we saw the video of him with (FEMA Head) Brock Long and (DHS chief) Kirstjen Nielsen inside the Oval Office and discussing it and come up with a plan.”

Not wanting to be left out of the sycophancy, Brian Kilmeade explained that “part of the reason he called into Shannon (Bream’s) show” last night was to say “listen, I’m here at the rally, but my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Florida.”

So, all good, right Fox News viewers?!

The ephemeral nature of meaning in today’s political landscape is probably best exemplified by the term “thoughts and prayers.” It is often said in earnest by true believers after a disaster or mass shooting as a means to convey goodwill and faith that those in distress can find peace.

But the phrase is also derided by those who criticize those as empty words designed only to make the conveyers feel better about themselves in lieu of any actual action that could help prevent or provide tangible comfort to those in distress. (Note – the tangible effects of thoughts and prayers have yet to be scientifically proven.)

Watch the clip above, courtesy of Fox News.

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