WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Florida on Saturday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia and comfort those affected by the storm, but he will not meet Governor Ron DeSantis. state Republican and possible presidential rival.
Biden, a Democrat, told reporters Friday that he would see the governor during the trip, but DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said later that no meeting was planned and that “the security preparations alone that organizing would entail such a meeting would cripple ongoing recovery efforts.”
In response to a question on Saturday about what happened to the meeting, Biden told reporters: “I don’t know. He’s not going to be there.”
DeSantis, 44, is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 to unseat Biden from the White House, but trails former President Donald Trump in the polls. Biden, 80, is running for re-election.
Biden and DeSantis have spoken regularly this week about the storm, which battered the Big Bend region of Florida with Category 3 winds of nearly 125 mph. On Wednesday, the president said that politics did not creep into their talks: “I think he trusts my judgment and my desire to help,” the president said.
The White House said Biden, who is traveling with his wife, Jill, told DeSantis about the visit during a conversation Thursday and the governor did not raise concerns then.
“Her visit to Florida has been planned in close coordination with FEMA, as well as state and local leaders, to ensure there is no impact on response operations,” White House spokeswoman Emilie Simons said, referring to the Federal Agency for Emergency Management, FEMA for its acronym in English.
DeSantis has been a strong critic of Biden and the two have clashed over COVID-19 vaccines, abortion and LGBT rights. However, they met last year when Biden arrived in Florida to assess the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, and Biden said they worked together without a problem.
DeSantis may not want to be photographed with Biden overlooking the storm damage as the race for the Republican presidential primary heats up. Although he trails Trump, DeSantis leads the other Republican hopefuls in the race.
When Biden visited Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, a photo of DeSantis standing aside while Biden chatted animatedly with a local couple went viral, highlighting the difference between the two politicians’ styles of public interaction.
Biden will visit Live Oak, Florida, take an aerial tour of the damage and receive briefings on recovery efforts, the White House said. He and the first lady will also tour a community that was hit by the storm, seeing destroyed homes and speaking with first responders, FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said.
(Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington; editing in Spanish by Carlos Serrano)
Source: Ambito
