A person familiar with the situation said the president was unaware the Florida governor was refusing to take the vice president’s call about hurricane recovery.
President Joe Biden was unaware of the tensions between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris when he praised DeSantis as “gracious” during a news conference on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the situation. The president’s comments came after DeSantis declined to take Harris’ call regarding Hurricane Helene’s impact on Florida, a situation that had already made headlines earlier in the week.
NBC News reported on Monday that DeSantis refused Harris’ attempt to reach out about the hurricane recovery efforts, accusing her of trying to “politicize the storm.” Harris had labeled DeSantis’ actions as “utterly irresponsible” and “selfish,” a dispute that had gained considerable media attention.
Despite the ongoing spat, Biden appeared unaware of the conflict when he spoke on Wednesday. During a televised address, Biden praised DeSantis for being “very gracious” in his interactions with the federal government, specifically thanking the president for their coordinated efforts in the wake of the hurricane. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration between federal and state officials to ensure effective disaster response.
When asked whether DeSantis should have taken Harris’ phone call, Biden sidestepped the question and continued to focus on the hurricane’s destructive potential, which was expected to escalate as Hurricane Milton approached Florida’s coastline. Biden emphasized the seriousness of the storm, categorizing it as one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to threaten the state in over a century.
In his remarks, Biden also condemned the spread of “reckless” misinformation about the federal response to hurricanes, calling out former President Donald Trump by name for promoting conspiracy theories related to Hurricane Helene. This further underscored Biden’s broader messaging about the importance of accurate information during times of crisis.
