President Biden Surveys Hurricane Idalia Damage in Florida, Skips Meeting with Governor DeSantis
September 2, 2023
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, to assess the devastation caused by Hurricane Idalia and offer support to the affected communities. However, despite initially stating that he would meet with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the visit, no meeting took place between the two politicians.
Biden, a Democrat, had expressed his intention to meet with DeSantis, a Republican and potential presidential rival, during his trip. However, Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis’ spokesman, revealed that no meeting was planned as the security preparations required for such an event would interfere with ongoing recovery efforts.
When asked about the absence of the meeting with DeSantis, Biden responded, “I don’t know. He’s not going to be there.” It is worth noting that DeSantis is currently running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination but trails former President Donald Trump in opinion polls.
Despite the lack of a face-to-face meeting, Biden and DeSantis have been in regular communication throughout the week to discuss the hurricane and recovery efforts. Biden stated earlier this week that politics had not influenced their conversations and that he believed DeSantis trusted his judgment and willingness to help.
The White House assured that the visit to Florida was coordinated closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state and local leaders to ensure that response operations would not be affected. FEMA’s director, Deanne Criswell, confirmed on Saturday that search and rescue operations had concluded, and efforts were now focused on restoring power to the affected areas. She noted that less than 1% of Floridians remained without power, although some areas directly impacted by the hurricane still experienced significant outages.
Governor DeSantis has been critical of President Biden, particularly regarding COVID-19 vaccines, abortion, and LGBT rights. However, the two politicians have previously worked together during Biden’s visit to Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The viral photo from that visit, which showed DeSantis standing to the side while Biden engaged with a local couple, symbolized the contrast in their public interaction styles.
President Biden’s visit to Live Oak, Florida involved an aerial tour of the damage, receiving a briefing on recovery efforts, and visiting a community hit hard by the storm. He and the first lady were slated to witness the destruction of homes and speak with first responders. Biden recently visited Hawaii to address the aftermath of deadly wildfires and highlighted the urgency of addressing the climate crisis in light of extreme weather events.
Following his trip to Florida, President Biden is scheduled to return to his home state of Delaware for the weekend.
Reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington
Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington
Editing by William Mallard, Jonathan Oatis, and Matthew Lewis