The president and the governor, potential opponents in the 2024 presidential campaign, put politics aside during the trip, instead focusing on the urgent matter of recovery from Hurricane Ian.
President Biden visited a storm-stricken community in southwest Florida on Wednesday, touring the damage from Hurricane Ian and praising one of his top political rivals and harshest critics, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“I think he’s done a good job,” Biden told reporters when asked about the Florida governor’s handling of the storm. “We’ve worked hand in glove. We have very different political philosophies, but we’ve worked hand in glove. … In dealing with this crisis, we’ve been in complete lockstep.”
Before meeting with DeSantis, who also offered words of praise and bipartisanship during the visit, Biden surveyed the storm’s aftermath by helicopter, viewing capsized boats, destroyed businesses and waterlogged homes. He also attended a briefing with local officials and viewed more of the wreckage on foot, meeting with small-business owners and local residents in one of the communities hit hardest by the deadly Category 4 hurricane.
In speaking to local residents after viewing the damage, Biden pledged that while the recovery effort will take years, the federal government will provide support as long as necessary.
“The only thing I can assure you is that the federal government will be here until it’s finished,” Biden said, emphasizing that as a “united” country, people across the political spectrum could come together in a time of crisis.
The White House said Biden and DeSantis, potential opponents in the 2024 presidential campaign, would put politics aside during the trip, instead focusing on the urgent matter of providing relief to a part of the state that was battered by flooding, high winds and widespread power outages.
“There will be plenty of time to discuss differences between the president and the governor, and — but now is not the time,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.
For the most part, that was the case as Biden was greeted by Republican officials in Florida, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and received accolades from DeSantis for his response.
“We were very fortunate to have good coordination with the White House and with [the Federal Emergency Management Agency],” DeSantis said, speaking at a presidential lectern that had been set up for Biden. In introducing the man who he may one day seek to oust from the presidency, DeSantis added that the storm recovery had faced very few bureaucratic hiccups, in part because of Biden’s efforts.
