October 8th, 2024 – As Hurricane Milton slams into Florida, President Joe Biden is calling for evacuation-ordered people to leave immediately because of the storm’s potentially devastating effects. In a speech to reporters Tuesday, Biden called Milton a “terrible storm” and one of the worst that has struck Florida in more than 100 years. As president made it clear, it is a matter of life and death and people need to “evacuate now, now, now,” he said.
Biden also stated that he spoke with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday and the right-leaning governor had been helpful. The president even gave DeSantis his own phone number so that he had direct access during storm relief.
DeSantis Applauds Federal Action
Politically, DeSantis has expressed his appreciation for federal cooperation. He said at a Monday news conference, “We have gotten what we need from the feds… the president has approved what we asked for… I’m thankful for that.” He reiterated those points Tuesday in an interview with Fox and Friends, “Every request that we’ve made – I’ve been in contact with the president, I’ve been in contact with the FEMA director. All of our requests have been answered.”
Biden’s jovial support for DeSantis on the hurricane is stark contrasted to the growing tension between DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate.
Harris-DeSantis Conflicts Over Storm Response
The controversy between DeSantis and Harris came public when NBC and ABC News on Monday announced that DeSantis had denied Harris calls about federal storm-relief work. According to the reports, unnamed aides to the Florida governor said the calls from Harris felt “political in nature,” leading to the refusal to engage.
Harris reacted to these reports by calling DeSantis’ behavior “selfish” in a Monday press conference. “People are in desperate need of support right now, and playing political games at this moment in these crisis situations…is just utterly irresponsible,” she said. “It’s about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.”
But DeSantis fanned out, stating in his Fox News interview that he did not know Harris ever tried to reach him. “I didn’t know that she had called. I’m not sure who they called. They didn’t call me,” he explained, adding that Harris “has no role in this” and that he was focused on the needs of Floridians rather than engaging in what he described as “political games.”
Politics Take On the Hurricane.
Harris’ and DeSantis’ exchange comes as Hurricane Milton intensifies, with both political figures navigating their responses to natural disasters and the implications of federal relief during an election year. The stakes are especially high, as two of the hardest-hit states from Hurricane Helene, North Carolina and Georgia, are crucial battlegrounds in the 2024 presidential election. With just four weeks left until Election Day, the politics surrounding disaster response have become a central talking point on the campaign trail.
Former President Donald Trump, who is challenging Harris in the election, has spent the last week criticizing both Biden and Harris for their handling of Hurricane Helene. Trump has made repeated, unproven claims about the federal response, which have drawn ire from Harris. On Monday, Harris clapped back, accusing Trump of spreading “a lot of mis and disinformation.”
Federal Aid in the Spotlight.
With the two camps wrestling over federal disaster-relief politics, Biden and DeSantis have pressed ahead with preparing Florida for Milton’s potentially catastrophic arrival. Biden signed DeSantis’ federal aid request and FEMA is bringing in thousands of workers in preparation for what might be the worst hurricane to hit Florida in decades.
Biden and DeSantis working hand-in-hand in preparation for a potentially devastating natural disaster indicates that the two leaders are able, despite disagreements over politics, to come together to serve Floridians. But in the month leading up to the election, disaster recovery politics will no doubt remain a controversial campaign issue.
For more live updates and coverage go to NBC News & ABC News.
