Biden heads to Florida to survey storm damage, no DeSantis meeting set
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[September 02, 2023]
By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden heads to Florida on
Saturday to survey damage caused by Hurricane Idalia and comfort people
affected by the storm, but he will not be meeting Ron DeSantis, the
state's Republican governor and a potential presidential rival.
Biden, a Democrat, told reporters on Friday he would see the governor
during the trip, but DeSantis's spokesman Jeremy Redfern said later that
no meeting was planned and "the security preparations alone that would
go into setting up such a meeting would shut down ongoing recovery
efforts."
DeSantis, 44, is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination
to oust Biden from the White House but trails former President Donald
Trump in polls. Biden, 80, is running for re-election.
Biden and DeSantis have spoken regularly through the week about the
storm, which pummeled Florida's Big Bend region with Category 3 winds of
nearly 125 mph (200 kph). On Wednesday the president said politics had
not crept into their conversations. "I think he trusts my judgment and
my desire to help," Biden said.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Sep/02/images/ads/current/hopedaleag_sda_FAIR_2023.png)
The White House said Biden, who is traveling with his wife, Jill,
informed DeSantis about the visit during a conversation on Thursday and
the governor did not raise concerns then.
"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,
referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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![](../images/090223PIX/news_e48.jpg)
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks prior to
awarding Medals of Honor to U.S. Army veterans who fought in the
Vietnam War, during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House
in Washington, U.S., July 5, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Sep/02/images/ads/current/debbiesflora_lda_081123.png)
DeSantis has been a sharp critic of Biden, and the two have clashed
over COVID-19 vaccines, abortion and LGBT rights. But they met last
year when Biden came to Florida to assess the devastation from
Hurricane Ian, and Biden said at the time that they had worked
together "hand-in-glove."
DeSantis may not want to be photographed with Biden overlooking
storm damage now as the Republican presidential primary race
intensifies. Though he trails Trump, DeSantis leads the other
Republican candidates in the race.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is also running for
the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, drew criticism for his
praise of President Barack Obama in 2012 when the Democrat visited
his state in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy.
Biden visited Hawaii just last week in the aftermath of deadly fires
there and said on Wednesday that no one could deny the climate
crisis in light of the extreme weather. He is slated to travel to
his home state of Delaware for the weekend after concluding the
Florida trip.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by William Mallard)
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