The White House said that when President Joe Biden visits Florida on Wednesday to see the hurricane Ian damage, he will have a meeting with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
After Hurricane Ian made landfall, Fort Myers—which is being referred as as the state’s “ground zero”—will be visited by Biden and first wife Jill Biden. Following the hurricane, which left millions without electricity and many homeless, more than 100 individuals perished. The expected damage totals $60 billion.
In her preview of the trip at the Tuesday press conference, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “The president will meet with small business owners and local communities touched by Hurricane Ian.”
The president will also get an operational update on the ongoing response and recovery operations from Governor DeSantis, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and other state and local leaders, she said.
Political disagreements between Biden and DeSantis on topics like immigration and safety procedures have occurred often. DeSantis, who is running for re-election in November, is also thought to have a shot at winning the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. Their political rivalry might be fueled by the fact that Biden has declared his intention to run for re-election.
When Biden visited Florida in the aftermath of the Surfside condo disaster in July 2021, the two men got to know one another.
DeSantis thanked Biden for the assistance from the federal government during that pleasant encounter. Biden emphasized that the two guys were cooperating.
At the moment, the president declared, “Our message tonight is that we’re here for you as one country.” There are just individuals who desire to act morally toward their fellow Americans; there is no such thing as a Democrat or a Republican.
The mission on Wednesday, according to Jean-Pierre, would concentrate on how the federal government can assist rather than politics.
She was asked specifically whether Biden would bring up DeSantis’ answer to the border crossings. The White House denounced the Florida governor’s political ploy of paying to fly immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard.
However, Jean-Pierre said that Biden would not bring it up.
The president clearly expressed his worries and indignation about the political stunt, she added. There will be plenty of opportunity to talk about the president and governor’s disagreements. But the moment is not right now.
He will pay attention to the locals who have suffered great losses. She added of Biden, “He’s going to be talking to the responders on the ground who haven’t done a wonderful job.”
Despite their differences politically, Biden claims the two men cooperated to rescue disaster victims.
The president gave an especially glowing response last week when a reporter inquired about his connection with DeSantis.
In actuality, extremely good. He gave me a compliment,’ Biden claimed. “He congratulated me for our quick reaction,” I said. He expressed his gratitude to me. He expressed his immense happiness with the current situation.
“This has nothing to do with any of our political differences,” said the speaker. Saving lives, homes, and businesses is the goal here.
In recent days, DeSantis has likewise softened his stance.
He has previously called government storm aid a “boondoggle” and said that it was being given with a “put it on the credit card mindset.”
DeSantis, on the other hand, requested assistance from the federal government last week as Florida was in desperate need.
The governor said: “You know, if you can’t put politics aside for that, then you’re simply not going to be able to. People are fighting for their lives, when their whole livelihood is at risk, when they’ve lost everything.”
One of the fiercest storms to ever hit the United States, Hurricane Ian, made landfall last Wednesday.
The hurricane wrecked a historic waterfront pier in addition to flooding residences along Florida’s beaches and cutting off the sole bridge to a barrier island.
Residents of Fort Myers Beach were cautioned that the destruction plaguing the coastal city may prevent them from entering their flooded houses for months.
The Bidens traveled to Puerto Rico on Monday to see Hurricane Fiona’s storm devastation.