Gov. Ron DeSantis attends a press briefing in Steinhatchee on August 31, 2023, following Hurricane Idalia.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis attends a press briefing in Steinhatchee on August 31, 2023, following Hurricane Idalia.
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The state’s Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican nomination to face off against Biden in the 2024 presidential election, does not plan to meet with Biden on the ground as is customary after a natural disaster. Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 to take on Biden, does not intend to meet Biden on the grounds, as is traditional after a disaster.
Governor. Ron DeSantis met with President Biden in Fort Myers to talk to people who were affected by Hurricane Ian.
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In October 2022, Governor. Ron DeSantis met with President Biden in Fort Myers to talk to people who were affected by Hurricane Ian.
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DeSantis, Biden, and Jill Biden met with affected residents in Fort Myers, Fla., after Hurricane Ian. They put their differences aside and visited together. Last year, when Biden visited Fort Myers, Fla. in the wake of Hurricane Ian, the two leaders put their political differences aside and visited affected residents together.
On Friday night, White House spokesperson Emilie Simons said Biden would travel with first lady Jill Biden and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to Live Oak, Fla. — and emphasized that the trip would not affect local recovery efforts.

“Their visit to Florida has been planned in close coordination with FEMA as well as state and local leaders to ensure there is no impact on response operations,” Simons said.