Staff Reports
The situation in Florida is proving to be a rock in the shoe for the Biden administration as Governor Ron DeSantis continues to play a game of phone tag with the White House. It turns out that when hurricane season hits, some governors prefer to hunker down and manage their own crisis response rather than fielding calls from the nation’s top Democrats. Imagine that—politicians focusing on the people they serve instead of the political circus!
After Hurricane Helene made a mess of things in Florida, the White House expected DeSantis to be all ears—especially when the voice on the other end belonged to none other than Vice President Kamala Harris. But the governor opted for silence instead of sharing the airwaves. During a recent press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declared it was ultimately DeSantis’s choice to pick up the phone or not. What a bold statement! DeSantis is clearly exercising his right to run the show his own way, leaving Biden and Harris scrambling for attention like kids in a candy store with no cash.
'We didn’t answer': DeSantis not taking VP Harris’ calls about storm because they 'seem political' — he’s rather see Floridians suffer than work with the Biden Administration in their Hurricane relief efforts https://t.co/AITb6ohYiv
— Fernando Oliver, Esq. (@Fernand46357857) October 7, 2024
While the White House spins its wheels trying to convince everyone that it’s still got Florida’s back, DeSantis has been proactive. He decided to skip the bickering and connect directly with FEMA Director Deanne Criswell. Though Biden and Harris were left on read, it seems that Floridians are not being left in the lurch. The Biden administration trumpeted their readiness; meanwhile, DeSantis and his team clearly smell the politics behind the calls. It’s like a game of connect-the-dots, but what they really connected was a few too many political motives.
As the question of whether politics is muddying the waters of disaster relief arose, Jean-Pierre emphatically handed the mic back to DeSantis. She attempted to play the party line on comity, inviting him to join Biden on a tour of the damage only to be met with a very stiff “thanks, but no thanks.” The move to sidestep an audience with the president turns DeSantis into a sort of political Houdini, disappearing from the photo ops while seeking what truly matters—actual assistance for his state.
Meanwhile, one can only chuckle at the irony. Although the White House insists it’s ready to support Florida, it seems that every handshake is really a political opportunity for the administration as they look ahead to 2024. On the other hand, DeSantis remains focused on getting necessary relief for Floridians rather than adding fuel to the political fire. In the meantime, it seems like he’s not just prepared for Hurricane Milton; he’s also prepared for the storm that is the political games in Washington. Who knew disaster relief could double as an episode of reality TV?
