Biden’s visit to devastated Florida – ignored by DeSantis

Hurricane Adalia swept Florida on Wednesday, causing severe damage, flooding and power outages. On Saturday, President Joe Biden will visit the affected areas and the population there.

At first, both Biden and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis seemed to agree that the need for help for hurricane victims would trump political differences. But as the week wore on, DeSantis began to talk more about the possibility that the president’s visit could disrupt ongoing efforts. Then his staff announces that there are no plans to meet with the President.

Backtrack to 2022

On Friday, DeSantis said he told Biden during a phone call that the security services during the presidential visit “are going to be very annoying.”

“What we want to do is make sure that the power continues to be restored and the relief efforts continue and we can’t allow that to be interrupted,” DeSantis said.

The announcement is a departure from how the two politicians acted last fall when Biden and DeSantis traveled around Florida together in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. But now Ron DeSantis is aiming to defeat Biden in next year’s presidential election, and allowing disaster to eclipse political differences is a sensitive issue for the presidential aspirant.

Criticism of Obama’s hug

Republican Chris Christie, who is also seeking the White House, had to defend in debates among Republicans his embrace of former President Barack Obama after Storm Sandy hit New Jersey in 2012, where he was then governor.

Biden himself has joked that he was so close to DeSantis that there must be a direct line between them. Responding to DeSanti’s anger, the White House said Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, looked forward to meeting those affected and that their visit to Florida was planned in close cooperation with emergency services “as well as state and local leaders to assist.” Ensure that this does not affect ongoing efforts.