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 had no knowledge of the back-and-forth between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris regarding hurricane recovery before he called DeSantis “gracious” in a Wednesday news conference, according to a source familiar with the situation. On Monday, NBC News reported that DeSantis had refused to take Harris’ call when she reached out about Hurricane Helene’s impact on Florida. The Florida governor accused Harris of trying to politicize the disaster, which led to a public exchange of harsh words between the two. Harris referred to DeSantis as “utterly irresponsible” and “selfish,” drawing significant media attention.
Biden’s public comments came as Hurricane Milton was intensifying and was expected to make landfall later that evening. The storm, which had been categorized as a Category 3 hurricane with winds reaching 120 miles per hour, was causing significant concern along Florida’s coast. Biden delivered a televised address to warn Floridians of the storm’s imminent threat. As the storm was barreling down on the state, a reporter asked Biden if he thought DeSantis should have taken Harris’ call regarding the disaster.
Instead of directly answering the question, Biden praised DeSantis, stating, “All I can tell you is I’ve talked to Gov. DeSantis. He’s been very gracious.” He added that DeSantis had expressed gratitude for the federal assistance and acknowledged the efforts being made. Biden made it clear that he valued DeSantis’ cooperation, despite the ongoing tensions between the governor and vice president.
Biden’s emphasis on DeSantis’ gratitude, however, came just days after the public clash over the phone call between Harris and DeSantis. The exchange between Harris and DeSantis sparked widespread debate and became a focal point of political discourse as the storm approached.
In his remarks, Biden underscored the severity of Hurricane Milton, stressing the storm’s destructive potential. “Milton is a Category 3 with wind speeds up to 120 miles per hour,” Biden said. “But no one should be confused. It’s still expected to be one of the most and worst destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in over a century.”
Biden’s statement was a stark reminder of the dangers posed by the storm, which was already wreaking havoc along the coast. As Milton moved closer to landfall, Florida’s residents were bracing for the worst, and emergency services were on standby. Biden also used the opportunity to call out the spread of misinformation, especially from former President Donald Trump, about the federal response to Hurricane Helene.
In closing, Biden reiterated his commitment to assisting Florida in the wake of Milton’s impact, as well as the federal government’s readiness to deploy resources for relief efforts. He also reiterated that despite political differences, the focus must remain on the public safety and recovery efforts as the storm approached its final moments before landfall.
