Biden is useless and America’s governors know it.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ office has confirmed that there are currently no scheduled plans for him to meet with President Joe Biden during Biden’s upcoming visit to Florida to assess the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. The governor’s spokesperson, Jeremy Redfern, explained that arranging such a meeting in rural, disaster-affected communities shortly after the hurricane’s impact would necessitate extensive security preparations that could potentially disrupt ongoing recovery efforts.
According to Newsmax, Hurricane Idalia struck Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 3 storm, causing widespread flooding and destruction before moving northward to affect Georgia and North Carolina. President Biden is slated to visit Florida on Saturday to personally evaluate the damage.
This announcement by Governor DeSantis contradicts President Biden’s earlier response when asked if he would meet with DeSantis during his Florida trip, to which Biden had responded positively.
The decision not to meet also marks a departure from the past, as President Biden and Governor DeSantis had previously met during the president’s visits to Florida after Hurricane Ian hit the state last year and following the Surfside condo collapse in Miami Beach in the summer of 2021. However, DeSantis is currently running for president and temporarily suspended his campaign due to the impending threat of Hurricane Idalia.
White House spokeswoman Emilie Simons emphasized that President Biden and the first lady intend to meet with community members affected by Hurricane Idalia and assess the storm’s impact. Simons stated that their visit had been meticulously coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as state and local leaders, to ensure it does not disrupt ongoing response operations.
Handling political rivalries in the wake of natural disasters can be a delicate matter, as demonstrated by the criticism faced by former Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for his embrace of then-President Barack Obama during a tour of Hurricane Sandy damage in 2012.
While both President Biden and Governor DeSantis initially expressed a commitment to prioritize storm victim assistance over politics, DeSantis later raised concerns about logistical challenges that could arise from a presidential visit.
Governor DeSantis underscored the importance of ensuring uninterrupted power restoration and relief efforts, emphasizing the need to avoid disruptions caused by a significant security apparatus accompanying the president during visits to the hardest-hit areas.
DeSantis has positioned his presidential campaign around opposing what he characterizes as “woke” Democratic policies and has frequently garnered applause at GOP events by calling for the return of “Joe Biden back to his basement,” a reference to Biden’s Delaware residence where he spent a considerable portion of the early COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
Despite these political differences, President Biden indicated earlier in the week that he and Governor DeSantis had been collaborating effectively in responding to Hurricane Idalia. The president mentioned that he had been in frequent contact with DeSantis regarding the storm, suggesting a productive working relationship between the two leaders.