Empathy

Its a very difficult thing talking to someone who has lost a loved one. Nothing is likely to ease the pain, so most people tend to say things like "He's in a better place" or "You have your wonderful memories to hold onto."

Of course this requires that you have at least a little tact and social awareness.

To tell a widow, "well he knew what he signed up for" is both insensitive and wrong.

No one I know signs up to die.

The understand the risks but hope to serve our country while surviving.

Its certainly not comforting and only said by someone so self absorbed that they have no empathy at all.

It also isn't surprising that he said this to the widow of a black soldier.

Clearly he is uncomfortable in dealing with black people in a non-official capacity.

Its not surprising that he is inept at this and he could have avoided some of the awkwardness if he had been at Dover when the bodies returned.  Of course he had a golf game that demanded his attention.

This man only cares about himself and maybe his children.  You can tell his relationship with his current wife is pretty chilly.  I'm not really sure he cares about his children the way a father should, he seems to lust after his own daughter.

The characteristics he displays are symptom of a sociopath in that he doesn't seem to understand normal human emotions.  However he might just be an egomaniac.

Those who fell for his lies are starting to see that he isn't going to deliver the better life they were hoping for.  More likely they will be impoverished by the cost of his health plan, which is make things worse so they repeal the law nicknamed after his predecessor 

Of course that assumes that the North Koreans don't deliver a bomb to end their troubles.

At least that would be quicker..