Ron DeSantis defends George W. Bush response to Hurricane Katrina

Image via AP.

In what could be one of his final campaign events ahead of the New Hampshire Primary, Ron DeSantis took a contrarian take on a natural disaster of historic proportions.

Addressing supporters in Nashua, the Republican presidential candidate took “media” to task for misplacing blame on the George W. Bush administration for its response to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

“You know, there have been these storms. I mean, Katrina when that happened, you know, the media blamed Bush 43,” DeSantis said.

“But the reality is that these disasters are really locally executed and state managed and then the feds kind of provide a backstop with money most of the time, but you do not rely on FEMA to respond. It’s got to be our people,” he added.

The Governor was talking up his own storm response in Florida, which has been heralded by media for the most part, when he veered off into the unsolicited defense of the former President, who was pilloried in the wake of the 2005 hurricane that came to define his second term ahead of the economic collapse of 2008.

He did not offer more takes on Katrina response at the Nashua event.