Watch: DeSantis Reveals What He Told Biden To Get Him To Cooperate After President Had Not Called Prior to Hurricane
President Joe Biden held separate calls September 27 with Florida mayors Jane Castor of Tampa, Ken Welch of St. Petersburg and Frank Hibbard of Clearwater to discuss preparing for Hurricane Ian.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) noticed the presidential slight in a press briefing later that day.
“So I have not personally spoken with the president, but FEMA has approved our pre-landfall request,” DeSantis replied to a reporter’s question concerning discussions with Biden about the approaching hurricane.
“We feel like we have a good relationship with FEMA,” the governor added. “You know, I’m happy to brief the president if he’s interested in hearing what we’re doing in Florida, you know, my view on all this is like you got people’s lives at stake, you got their property at stake, and we don’t have time for pettiness. We got to work together to make sure we’re doing the best job for them.
“So, my phone — my phone line is open,” DeSantis concluded. “But we are — we do appreciate the quick approval of the pre-landfall declaration.”
The president telephoned Florida’s governor not long after the DeSantis response, according to a Daily Wire report.
“Well, I’ll tell you what. I mean, what I told him is that the media was making a big deal that he wasn’t talking to me or whatever, and I told him, I was like, ‘Look, I want to work together for these people. Because these people are from all walks of life. Republicans, Democrats, they expect us to be able to put our differences aside,’” DeSantis said. “And nobody has done more to stand up to this administration than me in Florida over the last year and a half, as you know.”
“But you’ve got to be willing to work together to help folks,” the Florida Republican continued. “And so I think the response from local, state, and federal has been pretty seamless. And I think that’s a testament that, you know what, we as a country can get things done when it counts.”
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