By Geoff Earle, Deputy US Political Editor for Dailymail.com and Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter for Dailymail.Com and Emily Goodin, Senior US Political Reporter
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis does not expect to join President Biden when he visits his storm-ravaged home state on Saturday, his spokesman said Friday.
The apparent snub comes at a time when Florida residents are seeking multibillion-dollar federal injections to recover from the massive devastation caused by Hurricane Idalia — and after the president announced he would meet with DeSantis when asked about it.
A DeSantis spokesman said DeSantis, a top Republican presidential nominee, has “no plans” to meet Biden.
That’s despite the fact that the president answered “yes” on Friday when asked if he plans to meet with DeSantis, whose poll ratings have declined but who still ranks second to the former in Republican presidential polls President Donald Trump lies.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has “no plans” to meet President Biden, who is visiting Florida on Saturday afternoon
“We do not intend for the governor to meet with the president tomorrow,” spokesman Jeremy Redfern said.
“In these rural communities and so soon, and so soon after the impact, the very safety preparations that would be required to call such a meeting would nullify ongoing recovery efforts.”
He made the statement, which was confirmed by DailyMail.com, just as the White House was preparing for a trip.
Biden has held multiple phone calls with DeSantis, and the White House has held regular briefings by security officials. It’s the kind of federal-state cooperation that presidents and governors typically propose to demonstrate cooperation in a recovery situation.
President Biden is traveling to Florida on Saturday to review the storm damage. In Florida, bank UBS estimated insurance claims would total a staggering $10 billion
DeSantis tends to accelerate the rebound even while running a presidential campaign that has seen his poll numbers plummet
The cost of storm recovery could reach $20 billion
Biden and DeSantis met in June 2021 after the Surfside condo collapse.
NBC first reported on DeSantis’ latest plans.
Biden himself often cites the safety footprint issue when considering visits — including his chaotic visit to inspect the Hawaii wildfire damage. But by the time Biden leaves, there will already be a sizeable intelligence and security presence.
Biden called DeSantis Thursday to let him know he was making a statement on a major disaster. According to the White House, he ordered all federal funds to help with the response.
Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach on Wednesday with winds of about 125 miles per hour and a storm surge two meters high.
The extent of the damage became clear on Friday. Some 28,000 residents were told they could be without power for two weeks after the storm brought down power lines and left a trail of destruction.
But it could have been worse. It made a late departure from the state capital of Tallahassee and its population of 200,000 people.
Instead, it hit less populated coastal regions.
Still, Florida-based UBS bank estimated the insurance claims would total about $10 billion.
Other estimates suggest the ultimate cost could exceed $20 billion in Florida alone.
If DeSantis does indeed stay away from Biden, he could avoid a move like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who famously “embraced” President Barack Obama during his 2016 trip to view the storm damage from Hurricane Sandy.
Christie is among DeSantis’ rivals in 2024, in a race where former President Donald Trump is the undisputed poll leader.
