Just over a week after Hurricane Helene reportedly devastated portions of Florida, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reportedly declining to receive calls from Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to a DeSantis aide, he was evading the Democratic presidential nominee’s contacts because they appeared “political,” according to a source who was acquainted with the situation.
When asked if DeSantis had spoken to President Joe Biden, the same individual responded, “Not to my knowledge.”
Last week, DeSantis stated that Biden had contacted him; however, he was unable to accept the call due to his flight schedule. Last week, Biden was in north Florida to assess the extent of the hurricane damage.
However, DeSantis was conducting a news conference in a different region of the state, and they were unable to meet.
A source with knowledge of the planning process stated that the Biden team had extended an invitation to DeSantis to attend the event in northern Florida.
However, DeSantis has maintained direct communication with Deanne Criswell, the Director of Federal Emergency Management.
On September 27, Hurricane Helene struck the Big Bend region of Florida, causing significant damage to rural counties in the north and flooding communities along the Gulf Coast with storm surge.
Numerous cities, including the densely populated Tampa region, are still grappling with substantial flood damage and debris removal.
Following its arrival, Helene’s remnants continued to traverse the Southeast, resulting in the loss of over 200 lives and the inundation of the region, including unprecedented flooding in western North Carolina.
The Biden administration has been a target of severe criticism for its allegedly slow response to the devastation wrought by Helene.
[READ MORE: DeSantis Issues State of Emergency Ahead of New Hurricane’s Landfall]
