Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for not taking her calls as another hurricane approached his state’s coast.
Harris spoke to reporters at Joint Base Andrew as she departed for New York on Monday ahead of a series of interviews in the Big Apple.
Reports emerged early Monday that DeSantis ignored a call from Harris specifically because he believed the move was politically motivated, since she is the Democratic presidential candidate.
“You know, moments of crisis, at the very least, should be the time when anyone who calls themselves a leader says they’re going to put politics aside and put people first,” Harris said on the track.
He noted that “people desperately need support right now.”
“And to play political games right now in these crisis situations, these are the height of emergency situations, it’s just irresponsible, and it’s selfish, and it’s about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you swore to do.” , which is about putting people first,” Harris added.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for not taking her calls as another hurricane approached his state’s coast.
President Joe Biden was in the state last week to assess the damage and DeSantis did not accompany him.
When Biden tried to contact DeSantis last week, the governor was flying and couldn’t take the call, he said.
DailyMail.com can confirm that the governor also did not take Harris’ call this week.
And when Biden was in Florida last week to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, DeSantis was already holding a previously scheduled press conference in another part of the state.
The two did not meet.
When asked during a press conference Monday about not taking the call, DeSantis said he didn’t even know the vice president had called him.
‘I didn’t know she called me. I saw that, but I wasn’t aware of it,’ he told reporters in Tallahassee, also stating that he also didn’t know the president had called.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not accept calls from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris when they reached out regarding hurricane relief in his state.
‘We have obtained approvals for everything we asked for,’ he said.
Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters on Monday: “It’s up to the governor whether he wants to respond to us or not.”
After the death and destruction of Hurricane Helene, parts of central and northern Florida are bracing to be hit by another storm on Wednesday.
Although he is not in direct contact with the president or vice president, DeSantis has been speaking with Federal Emergency Management Director Deanne Criswell.
When asked if politics is affecting the hurricane relief response, Jean-Pierre said, “That’s really up to the governor to talk to, right?”
“It was his decision… not to attend or not to be there with the president,” he added.
‘We are doing our part, in the Biden-Harris administration, the work (obviously FEMA is work) is on the ground, all hands on deck, all government. Solid approach here. And, again, that’s something that’s up to Governor DeSantis to talk to him about.”
On the Republican side, there has been much speculation that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is not doing enough to help relieve those facing the consequences of the hurricane.
Some theorize that too much money was allocated to house immigrants and illegal immigrants, so there is nothing left for hurricane relief.
Others are pushing conspiracies that if families accept help, then the federal government will be able to keep their homes, which is leading Americans to not seek the help they need.
Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday as Florida remains in recovery mode from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.