Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has accused Vice President Kamala Harris of having “no role” in helping the state recover from Hurricane Helene or prepare for Hurricane Milton.
DeSantis and Harris have exchanged words in the wake of reports by NBC News and ABC News that the Republican governor refused to take the vice president’s calls to discuss a response to Hurricane Helene, which recently hit Florida and other states in the Southeast.
Speaking to Fox News‘ Sean Hannity on Monday night, DeSantis hit out at Harris for suggesting he is embarking on “political gamesmanship” rather than trying to protect the people of Florida. Newsweek has contacted DeSantis’ office and Harris’ campaign team for comment via email.
“For Kamala Harris to say that my sole focus on the people of Florida is somehow selfish, is delusional,” he said.
“She has no role in this. In fact, she’s been vice president for three and a half years. I’ve dealt with a number of storms under this administration, she has never contributed anything to any of these efforts.”
He added: “She’s trying to get some type of an edge. She knows she’s doing poorly and so she’s playing these political games. I don’t have time for political games.”
A DeSantis spokesperson told NBC News that he believed the Democratic presidential nominee’s attempts to reach out, “seemed political.” DeSantis has denied that he has been screening calls from Harris.
Harris accused the Florida governor of being “utterly irresponsible” and not “doing the job that you took an oath to do,” when asked about him allegedly refusing her calls.
The back-and-forth between the pair comes as Florida is preparing for the arrival of Category 4 storm Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference on September 17, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. DeSantis has attacked Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Florida governor denied claims that he refused to take calls from Harris while speaking to reporters on Monday.
“I didn’t know that she had called,” he said. “I’m not sure who they called. They didn’t call me. Their characterization of it was something that they did. It wasn’t anything that anybody in my office did, in terms of saying it was political.”
When asked about the reports, Harris said: “Moments of crisis, if nothing else, should really be the moment that anyone who calls themselves a leader says they’re going to put politics aside and put the people first.
“People are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games at this moment, in these crisis situations, these are the height of emergency situations.
“It’s utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do,” she added.
GOP figures have been accused of trying to politicize the response to Hurricane Helene by the Biden administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA].
President Joe Biden called Donald Trump a “liar” for falsely suggesting that the federal government is unable to fund a response to Hurricane Helene because the money is being spent on migrants.
DeSantis told Hannity that he has spoken to Biden and FEMA director Kim Kadesch ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall.
The White House confirmed on Monday that Biden approved DeSantis’ request for an emergency declaration in Florida.
The National Hurricane Center downgraded Hurricane Milton from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm in its most recent public advisory.
“While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida,” the agency said.
