'Only Salt in Our Wounds': Reagan Daughter Patti Davis Explains Why We Shouldn't Look to Trump for Compassion

Ronald Reagan's daughter called out President Donald Trump for his inability to perform one of the most essential aspects of his job -- offering comfort and compassion in the wake of tragedy.

Patti Davis, an author and screenwriter, published a column Monday in the Washington Post faulting Trump for cracking jokes and making other inappropriate comments after 11 worshipers were gunned down over the weekend in a Pittsburgh synagogue.

"This president will never offer comfort, compassion or empathy to a grieving nation," Davis wrote. "It’s not in him. When questioned after a tragedy, he will always be glib and inappropriate. So I have a wild suggestion: Let’s stop asking him. His words are only salt in our wounds."

Davis pointed to words of solace offered by her father after the Challenger explosion, and other moments when recent presidents have comforted a grieving nation.

"Where does a grieving nation turn for comfort when the man who occupies the White House offers none?" Davis said. "Our hearts are hurting. Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries, not slaughterhouses. America is not supposed to be awash in fear."

"We’re all responsible now for tending to one another’s wounds," she added, "and if you stay blind to what those wounds are, you can’t help. Ignorance is not an option these days. This is a time for all of us to lead with the courage and compassion that is missing at the highest levels of our government."