Ron DeSantis says, of course, he would pause 2024 campaign for hurricane response

DeSantis Boots1 ART
'No different than when I was running for re-election last year.'

Hurricanes may threaten Florida this year, but the Governor says he won’t abandon the state if the worst happens.

During an appearance on Good Morning OrlandoRon DeSantis told listeners he wouldn’t let his run for the White House distract from storm response.

“Oh, I’m Governor. We do this all the time. We prepare for a crisis, prepare for storms when there’s a storm on the rise and everything you do stops and you’re there,” DeSantis said.

The Governor reminded listeners that hurricanes hit during the height of the 2022 campaign.

“That’s no different than when I was running for re-election last year. We were right in with Hurricane Ian. We were in the height of the re-election campaign. I canceled three weeks worth of stuff. We stopped raising money. It all comes to a stop and you’re there doing it.”

Though DeSantis formally ceased campaigning during the height of storm response in the ultimately undramatic race against Charlie Crist, he did not give up partisan messaging entirely.

DeSantis, during an exclusive interview with the right-of-center Florida’s Voice website, was asked if there would be any “accountability in the media” for reporting that the storm had been forecast to strike the Tampa Bay area.

“Quite frankly, you have national regime media that … wanted to see Tampa, because they thought that would be worse for Florida. That’s how these people think,” DeSantis said.

“They don’t care about the people of this state. They don’t care about the people of this community. They want to use storms and destruction from storms as a way to advance their agenda. And they don’t care what destruction’s in their wake. They don’t care about the lives here. If they can use it to pursue their political agenda, they will do it,” DeSantis asserted, without explaining what agenda could be served by a storm striking a major population center.

The Governor took opportunities to mix it up with national reporters covering Ian’s aftermath as well, including when a CNN reporter asked him during a press availability in Arcadia about Lee County’s mandatory evacuation order issued a day before landfall.

“Well, where was your industry stationed when the storm hit?” DeSantis replied. “Were you guys in Lee County? No, you were in Tampa.”

DeSantis also took heat earlier this year, when he continued on with an Ohio trip despite historic flooding in South Florida. He ultimately declared a state of emergency while in Ohio, but did not return to tour the damage.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


9 comments

  • Lynda

    May 26, 2023 at 2:17 pm

    I would like an update on progress in Lee County and Barrier Islands. How many people are still homeless waiting for Insurance money?

  • Michael K

    May 26, 2023 at 5:25 pm

    Poor Ron, always a victim. I’m going to guess it will all depend on which county…

  • AlexaMiley

    May 26, 2023 at 9:20 pm

    great

  • AlexaMiley

    May 26, 2023 at 9:21 pm

    Mike, excellent work. I commend your efforts since I presently (NCN-00) earn more than $36,000 each month from just one simple web company! These are the most basic internet operations occupations, yet you may start establishing a continuous online income with as little as $29,000.
    Change the connection

  • Dr. Franklin Waters

    May 26, 2023 at 11:04 pm

    Well he didn’t interrupt his book tour when Fort Lauderdale was underwater, so there’s no reason to believe he’d pause his campaign for a hurricane either.

  • Dont Say FLA

    May 27, 2023 at 11:48 am

    Resign to Run unless you are the state’s so-called executive and running for President, in which case your services are not required but you can keep your paycheck while you run off and do whatever.
    Dog catcher, however, you try this same shit and you’re going to the gas chamber.

  • I believe Ron on this one

    May 27, 2023 at 11:53 am

    Ron speaks truth about hurricane response. He is not missing ANY chances for wearing his fancy boots again. He will be there, wearing his fancy, prancy boots the very minute he gets another opportunity. Casey told him he looked fantastic in his boots, and he believes it, because,ahem, it’s true, cough cough cough. Ron looks dashing in his white knee highs.

  • John Barron

    May 28, 2023 at 6:35 am

    Between Rob DeSanctus’ boots and Leona’s satin gloves, it’s pretty clear they’ve got some discord in their costume department!! Casey is not a Melania. She’s not even a Marla!!!

  • New Hampshire and Iowa

    May 28, 2023 at 8:39 am

    New Hampshire and Iowa both remind Ron so much of Florida that he figures he can manage the hurricane response from either of them. Ron’s hurricane response being, of course, his announcement of Judge Sasso being removed from the bench, trying to slip that tidbit thru the hurricane news cycle. Just watch. This is what Ron will do during the next newsworthy hurricane to hit Florida.

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories