Josh Dawsey in the Post on the nightmare zombie visit of Trump to the Florida hospital yesterday.

President Trump, as he often does while responding to natural disasters, mass shootings or unfolding crises, spent much of his time congratulating the responders instead of memorializing the victims of Wednesday’s school shooting during a visit here Friday.

Trump, in two quick stops at a hospital and sheriff’s office near the school where 17 were killed and scores were injured, praised the doctors, police officers, fire officials and others who responded quickly to the mass shooting in Parkland, casting their response as heroic and record-setting.

“Incredible job, and everybody is talking about it,” Trump said of the response, with dozens of officers flanking a large circular conference room table on the fifth floor of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

No, what everybody is talking about is the horror of what happened, the students and teachers who were killed, the grief and terror and loss and anguish. The fact that emergency personnel responded quickly is not the core of the story.

“They were in really great shape,” he said of the families.

Yeah I’m sure they were ecstatic that their kids were in the hospital after being shot at school, and that some of their kids’ classmates are dead. I’m sure they’re in fabulous shape, ready to run a marathon, in peak tip-top happy condition.

“The job they’ve done is incredible, and I want to congratulate you,” Trump said as he shook the hand of Dr. Igor Nichiporenko at the hospital.

Not exactly. He thrust his hand out at the doctor, and when the doctor slowly took it, he yanked it hard.

https://youtu.be/zWftDoNYHYo

He said he was impressed with the speed with which first responders reacted, calling it “record-setting” and “in one case, 20 minutes” from the school to the hospital.

“It’s an incredible thing,” Trump said. He later said the officers deserve a raise.

It’s a wonder he didn’t talk about what kind of gas mileage they got.

He did not give an emotional or rousing commemoration to the victims — like President Barack Obama’s after a mass shooting at a Charleston, S.C., church — nor did he publicly greet any families whose children were killed in the attack. Speaking at a funeral or a large vigil was not on the agenda. There were no calls for American resolve. There were no tears.

The visits were quick. For instance, Friday night, he was in the hospital for about 35 minutes, speaking to the news media for about 45 seconds.

There was no feeling, no understanding, no sorrow, no empathy, no concern, no compassion, no normal human reaction of any kind. He might as well have been playing golf. The most he could manage was that “It’s saaad that a thing like this could happen” – but that’s his “sad,” the one he puts at the end of his angry tweets, and he cut himself off instantly with “but the speed with which they got there was incredible” – as if to say let’s not get all mawkish here.

It’s chilling to watch. We know he’s empty, but seeing him demonstrate it at times like this…it’s dreadful.