Staff Reports
The White House is claiming that they were completely blindsided by Governor Ron DeSantis’ decision not to meet with President Joe Biden during his visit to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia in Florida. But let’s be honest, DeSantis made it crystal clear that he had no interest in greeting the president. He might as well have put up a giant “Do Not Disturb” sign.
When asked about the situation, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Deanne Criswell and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tried to play it cool. Jean-Pierre said, “There was just no indication that he was not going to be there.” Really? Maybe they were too busy taking selfies to notice, but it was pretty obvious that DeSantis wasn’t interested in a meet and greet.
Criswell tried to brush it off by saying that Biden and DeSantis had “mutually agreed on” visiting Live Oak together. Oh, please. Give us a break. We all know that DeSantis said loud and clear that he had no plans of meeting with the president. He even mentioned that the security preparations alone would shut down recovery efforts. Can’t argue with that logic.
And let’s not forget Biden’s track record when it comes to showing sympathy for natural disaster survivors. Remember when he only gave Hawaii residents a measly $700 after devastating fires destroyed their homes and took lives? Meanwhile, he’s throwing millions of dollars at Ukraine like it’s Monopoly money. It’s clear where his priorities lie, and it’s not with the American people.
In the end, the White House can try to spin it however they want, but the truth is that DeSantis wasn’t interested in playing nice with Biden. And who can blame him? The president’s visit would have been nothing but a distraction to recovery efforts. Good on DeSantis for standing his ground.
