Biden Undermines Harris, Praises DeSantis for Hurricane Response: ‘Doing a Great Job’
By Jake Beardslee ·
October 9, 2024
In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, conflicting statements have emerged from the White House regarding Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's response.
While Vice President Kamala Harris criticized DeSantis for allegedly "playing political games," President Joe Biden praised the governor's efforts. Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Harris expressed frustration on Monday, telling reporters, "People are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games with this moment, in these crisis situations, these are the height of emergency situations, it's just utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish." Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In contrast, Biden commended DeSantis during a press conference, saying, "The governor of Florida has been cooperative. He said he's gotten all that he needs. I talked to him again yesterday, and I said – no – you're doing a great job, it's all being done well and we thank you for it." Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
DeSantis refuted Harris's claims on "Fox & Friends", asserting that he was unaware of any attempted contact from her. Elena Barrera / Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
He responded, "I've worked on these hurricanes under both President Trump and President Biden. Neither of them ever tried to politicize it. She has never called on any of the storms we've had since she's been vice president until apparently now." Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia
The governor further emphasized, "Harris is not even in the chain of command. She has no role in this. The idea that I should be, like, worrying about her when I'm focused on the task at hand is just quite frankly absurd." Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia
As Florida continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, preparations are underway for the potentially more severe Hurricane Milton. CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned in a Monday interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, "Helene was a wake-up call – this is literally catastrophic. And I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die." City of Tampa / Wikimedia
