You could say that President Donald Trump revealed nothing more Tuesday than an enduring optimism, locating the silver linings even in the darkest clouds of a deadly storm. Or you might say that what was on display during the president’s visit to southern Texas to survey the damage wrought by Harvey was the latest evidence that the Trump worldview would never mature beyond that of a reality-television personality.

On the ground in Texas, Trump, not to put too fine a point on it, appeared to commend the FEMA administrator, William (Brock) Long, on his newfound star power, owed to the devastating storm: