“Our thoughts are with Houston, Texas” is a sentiment that can be used by anyone at any time given the chaos caused by Hurricane Harvey.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 30, the amount of Hurricane Harvey-related deaths has risen to 35 and the storm continues to endanger the lives of many in Texas, trapping people in dire conditions they currently cannot get away from.

However, some people still manage to make it about their own political agenda and downplay, or outright ignore, the heartbreaking destruction caused by the hurricane. This is perhaps one of the most frustrating facts anytime a serious natural disaster occurs.

How hard is it to sympathize with people who might lose everything?

Controversial conservative Ann Coulter decided the stir the pot when she tweeted “I don’t believe Hurricane Harvey is God’s punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than ‘climate change.’”

Ignoring the lack of a factual statement, the tweet was in extreme poor taste. People are suffering, and Coulter’s primary concern seems to be creating another conflict between science and religion, rather than on helping the victims.

President Donald Trump’s response offended people as well. Rather than treat it like the terrible event it is, he decided to cast the victims of Hurricane Harvey as a crowd, exclaiming “Wow, what a turnout!” President Trump’s response almost ignored the conditions of the Texans, and cast them merely as a political measure of his supposed popularity.

But we can’t just gripe about notable conservative figures. We have to give a shout out to those everyday folks arguing over whether or not Barack Obama did the right thing during Hurricane Sandy, and for some reason, Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. These are genuine complaints that people air, despite him handling Hurricane Sandy with personal visits and aid, and despite the fact that he wasn’t president during Hurricane Katrina, or 9/11.

Comparisons are understandable when it’s coming from a place of concern for the victims, but politicizing it, though expected, seriously detracts from the bigger issue at hand: how do we help?

If you’d like to contribute to the relief of those affected by Hurricane Harvey, go to charitynavigator.org so you can find reliable places to donate to.