Trump is back on the runway while a disaster threatens Florida

"The Fed has gone crazy," said Trump.

On the operational side, the president can not do much more to deal with a storm at his home in the White House than on board the Air Force One or on the road. The vast infrastructure put in place during his travels allows him to function as easily as he is at the White House.

To behave in an openly political way when Americans are in danger or do not seem to focus exclusively on the coordination of federal, state and government agencies is often seen as an unnecessary risk that opens the door to criticism.

Trump the rule breaker

Trump has broken most of the presidential conventions and political rules. It is not surprising, therefore, that he chose to participate in the election campaign at a time when another president might have pretended to stay at home.

He explained that he did not want to disappoint the fans who, according to him, were lined up several hours before the start of the rally.

"We have thousands of people lined up, so we wanted to make this stopover," Trump told reporters at Erie Airport.

"We are going to do that and we have a lot of happy people," he said.

A GOP source involved in fundraising for Pennsylvania Senate candidate Lou Barletta told CNN, Jeff Zeleny, that Trump had been urged not to cancel because – with the mid-term elections in less than four weeks – time is running out to delay an appearance to The President.

Trump did not say so, but it's obvious – especially since he's been a political actor in recent weeks with a booming economy and confirmation of his second choice at the Supreme Court – that he likes the track.

Another evening on stage might have been too difficult to give up.

Nevertheless, presidents must sometimes disappoint their supporters and themselves in the service of broader national interests. Should it appear later that Americans in Florida were losing their lives or were in danger while he was on stage slamming "radical" democrats and making fun of the # MeToo movement, his behavior could eventually seem unpleasant.

But even then, he might not pay a political price – given his legendary ability to get away from gaffes and disasters that would have destroyed another politician's career years ago.

Trump also knows that many of the people most exposed to Michael come from some of the most fertile regions of the Trump country, where massive attendance has helped reverse expectations in the Sunshine State in 2016.

So, among the people most affected by the storm, it is unlikely that he will face a violent reaction.

And given the power of the conservative media machine, it is unlikely that if Trump deserved to be blamed for a Katrina debacle, he would face a bipartisan disdain for the government's performance that has been criticized by Bush .

It could be argued that Trump has already faced his Katrina moment and that, thanks to his ability to shape alternative realities, he has managed to escape serious political damage.

Nevertheless, Trump and his Republican colleagues are struggling to start mid-term and a controversy that has lasted for several days on the management of the cyclone by the president would not be welcome for GOP bosses. This could particularly hurt the Republican members of the House in difficult neighborhoods that are already sinking under the President's unpopularity.

That's why most presidents would have stayed at home.

But Trump is different, lives more in the present moment than most commanders in chief and seems to have a deep confidence in his ability to handle controversies, especially those he himself has created.