DeSantis Skips Another Meeting with Biden Following Hurricane Impact on State
Sen. Rick Scott, facing reelection in November, instead joined President Biden to observe recovery efforts.
TroibNews 
MIAMI — President Joe Biden arrived in Florida’s state capital on Thursday, just days after Tallahassee narrowly avoided a direct impact from Hurricane Helene, which devastated nearby coastal areas.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was 300 miles away at that moment.
As Biden exited Air Force One in Tallahassee, DeSantis was holding a press conference at hurricane-impacted Anna Maria Island near Bradenton, located on Florida’s Gulf Coast just outside Tampa.
In the wake of recovery efforts, DeSantis has aimed to distinguish Florida’s response from federal actions, asserting that the state was able to act more swiftly. Early in his remarks Thursday, DeSantis mentioned the dockworkers strike affecting several states, including Florida, and detailed crucial supplies that could face disruption—ranging from medical equipment to vehicle parts, lumber, and steel. He urged the Biden administration to “stand up for the storm victims” following a summary of Florida's recovery actions.
“It really is incumbent upon the Biden-Harris administration to do everything in their power to ensure that these goods are where we need to be,” he stated.
This visit was the second occasion on which DeSantis chose not to meet with Biden in Florida following a hurricane. Last year, he surprised the administration by announcing he would not join Biden after Hurricane Idalia struck the Big Bend, contending that surrounding security measures would hinder recovery efforts.
At that time, DeSantis was running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination while Biden was the presumptive Democratic nominee, a context that complicated their interactions.
When asked on Thursday about why he wasn’t meeting the president, DeSantis replied, “No. We had this planned.”
His decision not to meet with Biden contrasted with other Republican governors in similarly affected states. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp shared earlier this week that Biden had called him on Sunday, commending the strong relationship they had with FEMA, although he also did not meet with Biden on Thursday. In contrast, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster welcomed Biden at the airport during his visit on Wednesday.
Upon arriving in Tallahassee, Biden was welcomed by local officials, including Democratic Mayor John Dailey. The city is known as a Democratic stronghold in the predominantly Republican Panhandle region.
It appears that DeSantis and Biden have not communicated, with DeSantis mentioning he missed a call from the president on Sunday while in transit. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed reporters aboard Air Force One that both DeSantis and Kemp were invited to Biden's Thursday events but neither attended. She added that Biden spoke with Kemp earlier in the day.
“I don’t have a call to read out,” she responded when asked if there had been any communication between Biden and DeSantis.
Sen. Rick Scott, a former governor and a long-standing critic of Biden, accompanied the president and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at a visit to Keaton Beach, one of the hardest-hit areas by Hurricane Helene and other storms over the past year. Scott led a briefing detailing the storm's trajectory and met with local emergency responders afterward.
According to Scott’s office, he expressed to the president that the federal government’s response to recent storms had left many Floridians “hurting and with unmet needs,” particularly farmers. Scott recently sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture requesting a disaster declaration and block grants.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm at landfall, wreaked havoc on the Southeast and significantly impacted Florida, resulting in at least 19 fatalities, primarily in Pinellas County.
In recent days, DeSantis has hinted at dissatisfaction with the federal response during recovery efforts, sending state helicopters to North Carolina to deliver essential supplies and rescue stranded Floridians. He suggested rerouting unrelated ships to expedite supply deliveries and announced plans to mobilize both Florida National and State Guard members.
The White House indicated that it had reached out to 200 different officials in Florida to assess assistance needs but did not specifically address DeSantis’ concerns regarding the ongoing port strike. Jaclyn Rothenberg, a FEMA spokesperson, stated there were "no issues moving relief supplies for Hurricane Helene through the designated ports being used" and noted an ongoing contingency plan.
"As President Biden said, the last thing we need is a man-made disaster on top of a natural disaster," Rothenberg remarked. "We urge both parties to negotiate in good faith — fairly and quickly.”
During crises, political leaders often set aside partisanship to demonstrate unity in mobilizing government resources for those affected. They aim to convey that some priorities exceed political differences, and Biden has reiterated this stance, asserting that “You can’t only help those in need if they voted for you.”
Historically, such bipartisan gestures have been complicated; President Donald Trump, for example, faced backlash for disparaging Puerto Rico's leadership after Hurricane Maria struck in 2017 and was initially reluctant to provide aid to California wildfires in 2018 until he reviewed voting records for those regions.
In earlier crises, DeSantis and Biden had appeared together, including visits after the Surfside condo collapse in 2021 and following Hurricane Ian in 2022. Although DeSantis has consistently opposed Biden’s policies—on issues from pandemic responses to immigration—he previously met with the president during these visits.
On the Republican debate stage this summer, DeSantis criticized Biden’s response to the Maui wildfires, framing him as an ineffective leader.
Scott has maintained a critical stance towards Biden too but engaged with him after Hurricane Idalia when DeSantis opted not to. Additionally, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson—potentially eyeing the 2026 gubernatorial race—met with Biden on Thursday.
Despite their frequent criticisms of one another, Scott has acknowledged the importance of recovery efforts. Following his meeting with Biden, he remarked, “Floridians are resilient, but recovery doesn’t fall just on these families — it’s an all-hands-on-deck operation that requires the federal government to show up today, tomorrow and every day until the job is done and I won’t stop fighting to make sure that happens.”
Arek Sarkissian and Bruce Ritchie contributed to this report.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was 300 miles away at that moment.
As Biden exited Air Force One in Tallahassee, DeSantis was holding a press conference at hurricane-impacted Anna Maria Island near Bradenton, located on Florida’s Gulf Coast just outside Tampa.
In the wake of recovery efforts, DeSantis has aimed to distinguish Florida’s response from federal actions, asserting that the state was able to act more swiftly. Early in his remarks Thursday, DeSantis mentioned the dockworkers strike affecting several states, including Florida, and detailed crucial supplies that could face disruption—ranging from medical equipment to vehicle parts, lumber, and steel. He urged the Biden administration to “stand up for the storm victims” following a summary of Florida's recovery actions.
“It really is incumbent upon the Biden-Harris administration to do everything in their power to ensure that these goods are where we need to be,” he stated.
This visit was the second occasion on which DeSantis chose not to meet with Biden in Florida following a hurricane. Last year, he surprised the administration by announcing he would not join Biden after Hurricane Idalia struck the Big Bend, contending that surrounding security measures would hinder recovery efforts.
At that time, DeSantis was running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination while Biden was the presumptive Democratic nominee, a context that complicated their interactions.
When asked on Thursday about why he wasn’t meeting the president, DeSantis replied, “No. We had this planned.”
His decision not to meet with Biden contrasted with other Republican governors in similarly affected states. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp shared earlier this week that Biden had called him on Sunday, commending the strong relationship they had with FEMA, although he also did not meet with Biden on Thursday. In contrast, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster welcomed Biden at the airport during his visit on Wednesday.
Upon arriving in Tallahassee, Biden was welcomed by local officials, including Democratic Mayor John Dailey. The city is known as a Democratic stronghold in the predominantly Republican Panhandle region.
It appears that DeSantis and Biden have not communicated, with DeSantis mentioning he missed a call from the president on Sunday while in transit. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre informed reporters aboard Air Force One that both DeSantis and Kemp were invited to Biden's Thursday events but neither attended. She added that Biden spoke with Kemp earlier in the day.
“I don’t have a call to read out,” she responded when asked if there had been any communication between Biden and DeSantis.
Sen. Rick Scott, a former governor and a long-standing critic of Biden, accompanied the president and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at a visit to Keaton Beach, one of the hardest-hit areas by Hurricane Helene and other storms over the past year. Scott led a briefing detailing the storm's trajectory and met with local emergency responders afterward.
According to Scott’s office, he expressed to the president that the federal government’s response to recent storms had left many Floridians “hurting and with unmet needs,” particularly farmers. Scott recently sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture requesting a disaster declaration and block grants.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm at landfall, wreaked havoc on the Southeast and significantly impacted Florida, resulting in at least 19 fatalities, primarily in Pinellas County.
In recent days, DeSantis has hinted at dissatisfaction with the federal response during recovery efforts, sending state helicopters to North Carolina to deliver essential supplies and rescue stranded Floridians. He suggested rerouting unrelated ships to expedite supply deliveries and announced plans to mobilize both Florida National and State Guard members.
The White House indicated that it had reached out to 200 different officials in Florida to assess assistance needs but did not specifically address DeSantis’ concerns regarding the ongoing port strike. Jaclyn Rothenberg, a FEMA spokesperson, stated there were "no issues moving relief supplies for Hurricane Helene through the designated ports being used" and noted an ongoing contingency plan.
"As President Biden said, the last thing we need is a man-made disaster on top of a natural disaster," Rothenberg remarked. "We urge both parties to negotiate in good faith — fairly and quickly.”
During crises, political leaders often set aside partisanship to demonstrate unity in mobilizing government resources for those affected. They aim to convey that some priorities exceed political differences, and Biden has reiterated this stance, asserting that “You can’t only help those in need if they voted for you.”
Historically, such bipartisan gestures have been complicated; President Donald Trump, for example, faced backlash for disparaging Puerto Rico's leadership after Hurricane Maria struck in 2017 and was initially reluctant to provide aid to California wildfires in 2018 until he reviewed voting records for those regions.
In earlier crises, DeSantis and Biden had appeared together, including visits after the Surfside condo collapse in 2021 and following Hurricane Ian in 2022. Although DeSantis has consistently opposed Biden’s policies—on issues from pandemic responses to immigration—he previously met with the president during these visits.
On the Republican debate stage this summer, DeSantis criticized Biden’s response to the Maui wildfires, framing him as an ineffective leader.
Scott has maintained a critical stance towards Biden too but engaged with him after Hurricane Idalia when DeSantis opted not to. Additionally, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson—potentially eyeing the 2026 gubernatorial race—met with Biden on Thursday.
Despite their frequent criticisms of one another, Scott has acknowledged the importance of recovery efforts. Following his meeting with Biden, he remarked, “Floridians are resilient, but recovery doesn’t fall just on these families — it’s an all-hands-on-deck operation that requires the federal government to show up today, tomorrow and every day until the job is done and I won’t stop fighting to make sure that happens.”
Arek Sarkissian and Bruce Ritchie contributed to this report.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
