Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declined to meet with President Joe Biden during the president’s tour to assess Hurricane Idalia’s damage on Saturday, September 2.
Earlier, Biden had mentioned he would be meeting DeSantis during the trip, but the governor’s office later confirmed they had no plans for such a meeting.
They cited concerns that the necessary security preparations would hinder recovery operations in affected rural areas.
DeSantis emphasized that a visit from the president, with the accompanying security measures, would be disruptive.
He expressed the need to prioritize power restoration and relief efforts in the hurricane-hit regions.
In response, the White House said that the President’s visit was organized to minimize disturbance to recovery activities and had been planned with FEMA plus state and local leaders to make sure there was no interference with the response operations.
A White House official highlighted that DeSantis was informed in advance about Biden’s visit and had not raised any concerns earlier. FEMA administrator, Deanne Criswell reiterated that the trip had been mutually agreed upon.
During his tour, President Biden was accompanied by Senator Rick Scott, a former Florida governor. Senator Scott commended the president’s response to the disaster.
Governor DeSantis, now running for president, has frequently criticized Biden’s policies.
However, both leaders have put aside their differences amid Florida’s past disasters, with DeSantis praising the federal response after the Surfside apartment collapse in 2021 and Hurricane Ian in 2022.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, DeSantis’ recent decision is seen by many as a political maneuver.
