When asked why President Joe Biden hadn't spoken to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis before Hurricane Ian made landfall on Tuesday, the White House declined to comment.
Prior to the storm, President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with a number of Florida mayors, but has so far ignored the well-liked Republican governor.
Biden Faces Criticism For Not Calling DeSantis
During a Tuesday White House press briefing, reporters repeatedly questioned FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell about why President Joe Biden hadn't made the decision. Criswell was questioned about it repeatedly by additional reporters, but she insisted that Joe Biden and Ron DeSantis' lack of communication will not have an influence on the emergency response to the storm.
An inquiry for comments was not immediately answered by DeSantis' office. Soon after DeSantis was criticized by Prsesident Joe Biden for sending two planes of undocumented immigrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts earlier in September, Hurricane Ian strikes.
Last Monday, DeSantis attacked those who had criticized the decision, pointing out that the Biden administration had already been flying immigrants across the nation before he took any action, as per Fox News.
After the president came under fire for not reaching out to the Republican governor on Tuesday evening, Joe Biden reportedly called Ron DeSantis. According to the Florida governor's daily itinerary, which was made public on Tuesday evening, the call took place at 6:30 p.m., several hours after the White House briefing during which his spokeswoman was questioned about the lack of communication.
Hurricane Ian was upgraded to a category 3 storm on Tuesday, and it may have reached category 4 status by the time it makes landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday night. The wind speed has already surpassed 125 miles per hour.
Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Republican Governors Kay Ivey of Alabama and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas have all called Biden during his administration to discuss weather-related problems in their respective states over the past two years.
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White House Says Biden, DeSantis' Possible Rivalry is Not a Factor
DeSantis has become the prospective GOP presidential nominee and has emerged as the party's future face, according to Daily Mail. The Florida governor has taken a number of hostile actions against the Democratic Party, including Biden himself. He is widely believed to be considering a presidential bid in 2024.
Following up on a similar prank he pulled at Martha's Vineyard earlier in the week, reports surfaced this week that DeSantis planned to fly a new group of migrants to a region close to Biden's home in Delaware. In response to the reports, President Joe Biden said the prospective immigrants were welcome.
Although a $950,000 payment had been reportedly made to the same business that made the Martha's Vineyard flight at roughly the same time as the Delaware claims surfaced, the rumored flight never materialized. DeSantis declined to respond when questioned about the matter.
When asked about the circumstance on Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the president's choice to concentrate on other Florida officials was not influenced by any potential rivalry between Biden and DeSantis. It's about the Floridians, remarked Jean-Pierre, Newsweek reported.
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