We live in cynical times. But even in these cynical times, President-elect Donald Trump still manages to shock us with his petty and vindictive brand of self-interest.

The most recent and troubling example was his response to the incredible devastation and suffering occurring in Los Angeles. Instead of mourning the victims, pledging federal support once he’s sworn in or simply commiserating at the scale of the tragedy, Trump did what he always does: make it about himself.

He made an outlandish claim that an executive order he signed in his first term would have somehow prevented or helped fight the fires, implied that local Democrats were letting the fires burn on purpose (or maybe out of incompetence), and even threw in some name-calling of a political rival for good measure.

All while homes were burning, communities were being destroyed and people were dying.

The politics of disasters is nothing new. Whenever a natural disaster occurs, politics is soon to follow. To an extent, some of it is to be expected. Using politics to hold a politician or an administration accountable for failing to be prepared or for a lackluster response is somewhat necessary. It is important we learn lessons — politics can help us do that. On the other hand, a leader in charge who successfully navigates a natural disaster is likely to use that success for their own political gain.

All of it is cynical. Some of it makes sense. And we are all used to it.

But we should never get used to the levels of depravity that Trump and his ilk have sunk to.

The fires burning through Los Angeles have been utterly catastrophic. As of Friday, the fires have destroyed more than 12,000 structures, charred 60 square miles and killed 27 people.

Of course, we are familiar with a devastating winter wildfire. It was only three years ago that the Marshall Fire tore through our community.

For the purposes of context and empathy, it is worth taking a moment to remember that that fire destroyed roughly 1,100 structures — more than ten times fewer than the LA fires have thus far. Contrasting such destruction is not an effort to compare the scope of either tragedy, but simply to help us recognize the magnitude of this disaster.

The Marshall Fire tore us asunder. The LA fires are doing the same to that community.

Trump, though, seems to view this tragedy outside the scope of human suffering and merely as an opportunity to take cheap shots at political foes.

Almost as soon as the fires began, fueled by 100 mph winds, Trump took to his social media platform to point fingers.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water from excess rain and snow melt from the north to flow daily into many parts of California, including the parts that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump claimed on Truth Social, referring to California Gov. Gavin Newsome with an insult befitting a playground bully.

After it was pointed out that no such “declaration” exists, Trump’s team claimed he was talking about an executive order he signed years ago while president to redirect water from Northern California to Southern California. Newsome sued to stop the order. But experts insist the order would have done nothing to help combat these blazes.

Trump also seemed to imply that local leaders were letting the fires burn. He blamed Newsome for firefighting planes not being in the air. In reality, the incredible winds that have fanned the flames have, at times, kept planes grounded. And he blamed local leaders for fire hydrants running dry in the Pacific Palisades. In truth, municipal water systems are simply not designed to supply enough water to fight such a big fire.

The president-elect also had the gall to claim that there is “no money in FEMA,” when, in fact, there is roughly $27 billion still in the agency’s Disaster Relief Fund. What makes Trump’s FEMA claims especially brazen is the fact that he actually did redirect disaster funds from FEMA to build immigration facilities on the southern border.

It can be argued that these lies and attacks are small and petty and simply par for the course for Trump. And while that is true, we can’t let this sort of behavior be normalized. Nor can we let it continue, especially after tomorrow when Trump once again becomes the president of the United States.

We have already seen Trump’s brand of disaster politics when he is in charge, from his gleeful appearance in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Florence where he threw paper towels into a cheering crowd, to much more serious offenses. Years after Hurricane Florence, it was uncovered that the Trump administration intentionally blocked disaster funds from the island. And after a previous wildfire tore through Orange County, California, in 2018, Trump was reportedly hesitant to provide federal aid — until he learned that more people in the county had voted for him than in all of Iowa.

Disaster relief cannot be conditional. We cannot accept a reality where assistance from the federal government is contingent on fealty. Punishing our neighbors for having differing political views is the road to tyranny.

It is up to our Congressional representatives to rein in this sort of behavior and prevent it from becoming the new normal. And it is up to society at large to let our elected leaders know that this sort of politics is unacceptable — especially from the president.

To be clear, once the fires are out and the ashes have settled, when the reports and studies are completed, it is likely going to be found that there were things that local municipalities and the California government could have done to be more prepared for such a devastating set of fires or to have combated them more effectively.

We can and should learn lessons when natural disasters strike. And politics will play a part in how we implement those lessons.

But while the flames are still raging, while tens of thousands of people search for housing, while the brave men and women fighting these fires continue putting their lives on the line to protect their communities, it is not appropriate for our leaders to put politics above people.

— Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board