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Joe Biden will fly to Florida to meet Ron DeSantis as Florida continues to recover from the damage left by Hurricane Ian, including at least 100 deaths, but no one expects the face-to-face meeting to be a warm affair.
Two of his most prominent Republican critics will join Biden in Florida on Wednesday: Republican Governor DeSantis and Senator Rick Scott.
DeSantis will brief Biden with state and local officials on the storm response after the president investigates the hurricane’s destruction in Fort Myers via helicopter on Wednesday.
While Biden plans to focus on the victims of Hurricane Ian and not politics, despite all eyes on the Sunshine State for a potential clash between the Democratic president and the GOP governor.
“There will be plenty of time, enough time, to discuss the disagreements between the president and the governor, but this is not the time,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during her briefing on Tuesday.
She told reporters: “When it comes to delivering and making sure the people of Florida have what they need, especially after Hurricane Ian, we are one. We work as one.’
109 people died on Tuesday as a result of the hurricane. About 318,000 homes and businesses are still without power on Wednesday morning — nearly a full week after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden wave to guests as they leave the White House to travel to Florida to view Hurricane Ian damage and meet with local and state officials
Biden will meet with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis face-to-face on Wednesday as he sees the carnage from the storm that left at least 100 dead
The meeting is likely to be apolitical and will mark the first time the rivals have met in person after several phone calls related to the Category 4 hurricane that ravaged the state last week. Pictured: Governor DeSantis and wife Casey (left) provide an update on ongoing efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Tuesday, Oct. 4
It is not in Biden’s or DeSantis’ interest to make the meeting anything other than apolitical at this point. Biden has spoken to DeSantis by phone several times, but this will be the first face-to-face meeting between the other duo.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell will join Biden for the trip.
The president announced on Wednesday that the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs of “debris removal and emergency protection measures” in Florida 60 days after the day of the first incident.
This is an extension of the previous 30-day relief period announced last month when the hurricane hit.
DeSantis has emerged as a potential alternative GOP presidential candidate in 2024 as more moderate Republican voters turn away from the ultra-MAGA ideals. Although President Biden has not made an official announcement, he has reiterated his intention to run for re-election.
The first pair will depart from the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews, where they will fly to Fort Myers, Florida, where they will helicopter the president to assess the damage from the hurricane
Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses are still without power nearly a week after the hurricane made landfall in Florida. A rescue team member looks through the Fort Myers Beach massacre in search of victims
Restaurants, shops and other businesses were destroyed by the hurricane on Fort Myers Beach, Florida
During Biden’s trip to Florida, he will pledge more support to help the state recover from the Category 4 hurricane.
The storm caused an estimated $60 billion in damage and thousands were left homeless.
The storm cut power to more than 4 million homes and businesses in Florida and more than 1.1 million in North and South Carolina.
Partisanship between the White House and opposing governors has been broken in recent years when it comes to federal aid to states.
Barack Obama gave handshake hugs to Republican governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Charlie Crist of Florida, who at the time also had their states devastated by natural disasters. The hug damaged Christie’s career in Republican politics and killed Crist’s, who is now a Democrat who will be battling DeSantis in 2022.
The bipartisanship has broken down in recent years between the White House and opposing governors. Barack Obama hugged New Jersey Governor Chris Christie during a visit to his state to view storm damage (left), wreaking havoc on his career. And a hug with then-Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist (right), who ruined his future in GOP politics — and he’s now running against DeSantis as a Democrat
DeSantis, whose style of politics focuses on attacking far-left policies, needn’t worry about Biden’s visit ruining his influence and popularity with the GOP.
While he will embrace federal support for Florida, it’s unlikely there will be literal hugs.
The president and governor complimented each other on their phone calls in a rare moment of duality at a deeply divided time in American politics — especially with less than five weeks until the midterm elections.