Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis steers clear as President Joe Biden tours Florida’s hurricane damage.
LIVE OAK, Fla. — Joe Biden’s trip to Florida on Saturday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia presented an opportunity for a Democratic president and a prominent GOP presidential candidate to project unity amid a crisis.Up until Friday afternoon, it was widely expected 2024 political rivals Biden and Florida Gov.
Biden and the first lady were in Live Oak, Fla., Saturday afternoon, where they received an aerial tour of communities struck by the storm and participated in a briefing with federal personnel, local officials and first responders. Biden then toured the Live Oak community and met with residents who were impacted by Hurricane Idalia, a devastating storm that struck Florida earlier this week and left more than 6,000 homes damaged and at least one person dead.
In the days leading up to the hurricane and in its aftermath, Gov. Ron DeSantis held public briefings, sometimes multiple a day, to provide updates on the storm and recovery efforts. | Sean Rayford/Getty Images White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre told reporters on Air Force One that Biden had informed DeSantis of his trip during a phone call Thursday and that the governor did not give any indication that he wouldn’t meet with the president.
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