White House slams Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' 'concerns' over not joining President Joe Biden on visit to assess Hurricane Idalia damage
WASHINGTON, DC: Florida, in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, is desperately seeking federal help for its recovery efforts.
However, Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis reportedly decided not to join President Joe Biden during his visit to the storm-battered state on Saturday, Sepember 2.
DeSantis justified the action by citing concerns that the presidential visit could disrupt the ongoing recovery operations.
"We don't have any plans for the Governor to meet with the President tomorrow," said DeSantis' spokesman Jeremy Redfern, per the Daily Mail.
"In these rural communities, and so soon, and so soon after impact, the security preparations alone that would go into setting up such a meeting would shut down ongoing recovery efforts," he added.
White House responds to Ron DeSantis' refusal to meet with Joe Biden
The White House has now responded to this decision, stating that DeSantis had not expressed any concerns during his phone conversations with the President.
"The President informed the Governor yesterday before his visit to FEMA," a White House official said of Saturday's trip.
"The governor did not express concerns at that time. The visit was closely coordinated with FEMA, state and local officials to ensure there is no impact to ongoing response operations," the official added.
President Joe Biden and Ron DeSantis have been in constant contact
Biden has called DeSantis multiple times, and the White House has regularly organized briefings by security officials.
During a visit to the FEMA headquarters in Washington, DC, on Thursday, August 31, Biden mentioned that he had spoken to DeSantis so frequently that there should be a direct line of communication between them.
The White House clarified that Saturday's visit (September 2) was coordinated with FEMA to ensure that rescue operations would not be disrupted.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is already on-site in Florida, and will join Biden and First Lady Jill while they visit the affected areas.
"Their 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 spokesperson Emilie Simons said in a statement.
DeSantis previously met Biden in 2022 during a visit to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Ian.