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Washington has wondered for months how President Donald Trump would handle his first genuine crisis. As Puerto Rico struggles after Hurricane Maria, the answer is now clear: Trump's response has been a frenzied study in microcosm of his turbulent and combative presidency itself. Many of the traits of Trump's political persona, from his contempt for convention to his acute sensitivity towards the merest personal slight have been magnified as criticism has slowly built over his crisis management. Under pressure, Trump improvises, polarizes and victimizes. He has shown himself content to frame his own reality -- in this case on the true nature of the island's plight -- if the prevailing one is unfavorable to him.
The President has also displayed an obsessive interest in how he is perceived, as critics have faulted the scale and speed of the rescue and relief effort after the storm pulverized the island nearly two weeks ago. His frustration has been spilling out in prolonged Twitter storms, offering the kind of insights into his state of mind that Americans have had to wait for autobiographies or historians to uncover during previous presidencies. 
Trump has also been quick with excuses: The administration has repeatedly pointed out that Puerto Rico is an island surrounded by the sea, so is tougher to serve with a massive aid effort than a state like Florida or Texas. And as he did during his campaign, the President has sought to defend himself by seeking out enemies to frame as scapegoats to deflect blame from his own missteps -- for instance, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz.
Trump has also been quick with excuses: The administration has repeatedly pointed out that Puerto Rico is an island surrounded by the sea, so is tougher to serve with a massive aid effort than a state like Florida or Texas. And as he did during his campaign, the President has sought to defend himself by seeking out enemies to frame as scapegoats to deflect blame from his own missteps -- for instance, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. These glimpses of Trump's character suggest that expectations that he could hit a more conventionally "presidential" register when the trivia of daily political life is replaced by life-and-death decisions, may be misplaced. They may also offer pointers as to how he would lead in a national security crisis with graver global implications than Puerto Rico's troubles, perhaps in the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear program, or in the case of an explosion of tension with Iran. The drama of hurricane season is also offering pointers to how Trump sees the job of the presidency itself.
National divides At the same time, his conduct seems certain to deepen national divides over his performance. Critics, such as liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders, view his behavior as "unspeakable," while Trump's supporters view it through their belief that the media is pursuing a vendetta against Trump, born of an elite disdain for his convention-busting style. But as often in his presidency, Trump's reactions to criticism over the last few days appear to have weakened his own political position. No one, for instance, would deny the difficulty of responding to such a monstrous storm. At the same time, journalists on the island have a duty to describe what they are seeing -- and before Trump started slamming the coverage, their reports were not framed as criticisms of the President himself.
Trump's leadership style over the last few days does not just shed light on his character when it is tested by adversity. It suggests that his view of the job of the presidency itself is different than his predecessors. There's been little evidence that Trump accepts that his office is a public trust and the place where the buck stops -- fairly or not. His reaction to criticism over Puerto Rico suggests the reverse, that he sees his job as more of an extension of his own ego and prestige. Trump spent the weekend personally rejecting the notion that there were serious problems in the relief effort, even as many Puerto Ricans still lack running water, power, gasoline and still need basic supplies. "We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico. Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates ... people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great military," Trump tweeted Sunday.
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