Biden delays Germany and Angola visit while Milton heads for Florida
He chose to stay in the U.S. for the federal response to the hurricane.
TroibNews 
President Joe Biden has postponed his scheduled trip to Germany and Angola this week, choosing to stay in the U.S. to oversee the federal response to Hurricane Milton, the White House announced on Tuesday morning.
“I just don’t think I can be out of the country at this time,” Biden told reporters, emphasizing the potential severity of Milton, which he warned could be the worst hurricane to hit Florida in over a century. “We’re going to stay focused on what’s ahead of us right now.”
Originally, Biden planned to leave on Thursday for a two-day visit to Germany, including meetings with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin and a summit with other international leaders, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His subsequent trip to Luanda, Angola, scheduled for Monday, was part of his commitment to visit Africa before the end of his term.
Currently classified as a Category 4 hurricane, Milton is projected to strike the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday and Thursday. The federal government has been mobilizing resources and advising residents to evacuate in anticipation of a potentially devastating storm.
“Evacuate now, now, now,” Biden said, stressing the urgency. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
The impending storm is set to arrive shortly after Hurricane Helene caused destruction in several southern states, and recovery efforts from that disaster are still underway.
It remains unclear if Biden's trip will be rescheduled, especially given that it was already planned just four weeks before the presidential election. However, the president stated on Tuesday that he intends to reschedule both his visits to Germany and Africa, noting that he would “work those out later.”
Prior to the public announcement, the White House informed Scholz about the cancellation, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the German government.
“We very much regret the cancellation, but of course we understand given the situation in Florida,” the spokesperson remarked.
Biden mentioned that he would reach out to Scholz later in the day to discuss potential alternatives for the visit.
Joshua Posaner contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
“I just don’t think I can be out of the country at this time,” Biden told reporters, emphasizing the potential severity of Milton, which he warned could be the worst hurricane to hit Florida in over a century. “We’re going to stay focused on what’s ahead of us right now.”
Originally, Biden planned to leave on Thursday for a two-day visit to Germany, including meetings with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin and a summit with other international leaders, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His subsequent trip to Luanda, Angola, scheduled for Monday, was part of his commitment to visit Africa before the end of his term.
Currently classified as a Category 4 hurricane, Milton is projected to strike the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday and Thursday. The federal government has been mobilizing resources and advising residents to evacuate in anticipation of a potentially devastating storm.
“Evacuate now, now, now,” Biden said, stressing the urgency. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
The impending storm is set to arrive shortly after Hurricane Helene caused destruction in several southern states, and recovery efforts from that disaster are still underway.
It remains unclear if Biden's trip will be rescheduled, especially given that it was already planned just four weeks before the presidential election. However, the president stated on Tuesday that he intends to reschedule both his visits to Germany and Africa, noting that he would “work those out later.”
Prior to the public announcement, the White House informed Scholz about the cancellation, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the German government.
“We very much regret the cancellation, but of course we understand given the situation in Florida,” the spokesperson remarked.
Biden mentioned that he would reach out to Scholz later in the day to discuss potential alternatives for the visit.
Joshua Posaner contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
