A political spat has erupted between Vice President Kamala Harris and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as Hurricane Milton looms over Florida. Harris accused DeSantis of being “selfish” and “utterly irresponsible” for not returning her calls regarding hurricane assistance. She emphasized that, during times of crisis, leaders must set aside politics to help people in need.
DeSantis fired back, stating that Harris had never contacted him during previous storms in her time as vice president.
He also argued that Harris is politicizing the situation for her presidential campaign, noting that her involvement now is unusual. DeSantis made it clear that his focus has been on coordinating with President Joe Biden and FEMA, not on Harris.
He confirmed that all federal requests had been approved and that Florida is receiving the necessary resources to prepare for the storm.
“She has no role in this. In fact, she’s been vice president for three and a half years,:” he said. “I’ve dealt with a number of storms under this administration. She has never contributed anything to any of these efforts. She’s the first one who’s trying to politicize the storm, and she’s doing that just because of her campaign.”
In an appearance on Fox & Friends, DeSantis reiterated that Harris had never reached out during previous storms and questioned her sudden interest in Florida’s hurricane efforts. He suggested that her involvement was more about politics than a genuine concern for Floridians. DeSantis assured reporters that Florida has everything it needs from the federal government and remains focused on protecting its residents, rather than engaging in what he called “political games.”
Harris, on the other hand, called for putting politics aside in the face of a disaster, criticizing DeSantis for not cooperating during such a critical time. While both leaders traded jabs, their mutual priority, according to their public statements, remains the well-being of Florida residents as they brace for one of the strongest hurricanes in recent history.
