(CNN) President Donald Trump hosted a group of people who had survived the coronavirus at the White House on Tuesday.
Which gave Trump the chance to talk about his advocacy for the more widespread use of hydroxychloroquine to treat the virus and how a Democratic state legislator, who had the coronavirus had recovered and told him "thank you."
And, yes, Tom Brady.
Here's Trump on the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB:
"Tom Brady is a friend of mine and a great guy. Just signed a nice, new, big contract with a team that is supposed to have a lot of potential. Tampa Bay -- I'm sure he only picked a team with a lot of potential. How do you think Tom Brady is going to do?"
Ostensibly, the reason Brady came up was because Mark Campbell, who played tight end at Michigan when Brady went there, was one of the people Trump had invited to the White House to talk about his recovery from the coronavirus.
Trump repeatedly mentioned Brady in relation to Campbell -- "this man was an NFL football player for 10 years, a friend of Tom Brady" is how Trump introduced him -- and made sure to tell Campbell to tell "Tom" hello.
Why was the President talking about the new contract Brady signed with the Buccaneers after spending his entire career with the New England Patriots? Why was he asking Campbell to handicap how the Bucs' season might go with Brady at the helm? Why was he making sure people knew he and Brady are friends?
Well, first off, Trump views celebrities as people of incredible value. His friendships with them -- however strong or loose -- are things to be touted, baubles to be displayed to the hoi polloi. Look who I know! Be impressed!
Second, Trump simply has no filter. He has no sense that a meeting with survivors of the coronavirus -- even as thousands of people continue to die of the virus in America and worldwide -- is not the time to talk about Brady, his contract or his new team. And he has no adviser around him with the, uh, gumption to tell him.
The Point: Trump's tone-deafness for the moment and lack of empathy are not new. But his comments today served as a good reminder of just how lacking in both characteristics he really is.