Gov. DeSantis says he wasn’t aware of Kamala Harris’ calls ahead of Milton

DeSantis Harris
Confusion surrounds the Governor and his phone calls with the White House.

Sometimes, even the Vice President of the United States gets routed to voicemail.

That’s a takeaway from NBC News reporting about Vice President Kamala Harris not being able to get through to Gov. Ron DeSantis in the hours before Hurricane Milton promises a historical and devastating impact to Southwest Florida, the Interstate 4 Corridor and other areas in the path of the fearsome Category 5 storm.

The calls, per a DeSantis aide, “seemed political,” prompting the Governor to ignore them.

“Kamala was trying to reach out, and we didn’t answer,” the claim goes, as reported by Matt Dixon of NBC News.

The Governor said that wasn’t how it went down though.

“I didn’t know she called me. I saw that but I was not aware of that,” he told reporters Monday at the state Emergency Operations Center.

President Joe Biden approved the state’s pre-landfall declaration Monday, and DeSantis addressed that as well.

“At this point, it seems like the President has approved what we asked for. We’re thankful for that. If there’s something we need that they don’t approve, I will not hesitate to call him,” he said.

The Governor, who politicized the aftermath of Helene by sending Florida forces because he didn’t think the feds were doing enough in the Blue Ridge Mountains, added that certain “questions are trying to create some type of political angle where there’s just none there.”

“What we’ve asked for has been approved. You’re not seeing me out there carping or complaining about anything. We have gotten what we need from the feds.”

The apparent pause on politics notwithstanding, the lack of dialogue between Harris and DeSantis is the latest data point in a chilly dynamic between the two.

The Governor has called Harris a “vapid San Francisco leftist” and an “economic arsonist” since she became the Democratic presidential nominee.

Before that, he described her as an “insurance policy” to protect Biden from being removed from office.

DeSantis snubbed Biden during his tour of storm damage after Hurricane Helene, scheduling a low-priority press conference a 40-minute flight away from Tallahassee when Biden arrived.

He was coy when asked why.

“No reason. We had this planned,” DeSantis said to reporters during a news conference with other state officials in Anna Maria.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


41 comments

  • ScienceBLVR

    October 7, 2024 at 2:21 pm

    It’s just so childish..Gosh, Little Ronnie, what are you,
    10 years old? The calls, per a DeSantis aide, “seemed political,” prompting the Governor to ignore them…
    Unbelievable.. but wait for it.. Cue the headlines about the Biden Harris administration ignoring Florida because it’s Red and unfortunately home to the Big Trumpkin

    • Bobblehead Kammy

      October 7, 2024 at 2:29 pm

      Why does he need to talk to the VP? Up until several weeks ago she was pretty much invisible anyway. She simply wants to get face time. I don’t blame DeSantis.

      • Billy Rotberg

        October 7, 2024 at 4:36 pm

        Why didn’t biden make the call instead of Harris? Care to explain?

        • Joe

          October 7, 2024 at 5:02 pm

          Tiny D blew off President Biden’s visit to Florida too. Maybe try reading the news for once in your fox-brained life.

          • Billy Rotberg

            October 7, 2024 at 5:31 pm

            Always with the male junk references and the childish anger issues. You lack the maturity to have an adult conversation “Joe”.

        • MHDuuuval

          October 8, 2024 at 10:38 pm

          Ask your alter ego Peachy — he/she/they have all the dirt.

      • A Day without Hurricane Conspiracy

        October 7, 2024 at 8:01 pm

        Milton will get FaceTime with million of Floridian Wednesday,even you

    • Stop it!

      October 7, 2024 at 3:34 pm

      What. In. The. Sam. Hell.

      Ron you are a man child and you are absolutely ignorant. We the citizens of pinellas county want help from anybody especially our federal government. Get over yourself and don’t you dare screw up my recovery efforts! I’m a republican, a business owner, and pay my taxes. This political warfare is childish. Stop it! Stop it right now!

      • Skeptic

        October 7, 2024 at 9:12 pm

        Well said. Hope all is well for you this week. See you on the other side.

    • Billy Rotberg

      October 7, 2024 at 4:35 pm

      Guam received more red flag money so yeah, they don’t care. Look it up!

      • Joe

        October 7, 2024 at 5:04 pm

        Should we look on Foxnews or OAN or Breitbart for whatever unrelated culture war nothingburger you’re referencing, billyboy?

        • Billy Rotberg

          October 7, 2024 at 5:33 pm

          It’s actually a matter of public record. You post nothing but hate, anger and personal attacks because you’re a sad miserable excuse for a human being, Joe

          • MHDuuuval

            October 8, 2024 at 10:39 pm

            Give us a citation, then, scholar.

  • Kamala is Brat 🌴🥥🌴

    October 7, 2024 at 2:24 pm

    The SCOTUS just allowed Georgia’s six week abortion ban to be reinstated! Looks like Republicans just lost another purple state to Democrats!

    • Billy Rotberg

      October 7, 2024 at 4:37 pm

      Go pet your unicorn.

      • MHDuuuval

        October 8, 2024 at 10:41 pm

        That comment is as deep as you get.

  • Bob

    October 7, 2024 at 2:46 pm

    I suspect he was too busy cleaning the stains out of his pants after he realized that Milton will likely make our homes uninsurable and that will force folks to face AGW and all of Ronnie’s climate change lies. FL, the soon to be the Exit Only state, no bank will provide mortgages to uninsurable homes.

    • Bobblehead Kammy

      October 7, 2024 at 4:28 pm

      Ha! Ha! They still build in Kalifornia after earthquakes, fires, mudslides, etc. Stain in his pants? Really? Dude is a military veteran. Stop with the nonsense soy boy.

      • Billy Rotberg

        October 7, 2024 at 4:38 pm

        Democrats are petty. They prove it every day, especially here.

        • Bobblehead Kammy

          October 7, 2024 at 4:48 pm

          Keep participating Billy. I like your stuff.😀

          • Billy Rotberg

            October 7, 2024 at 5:37 pm

            Thanks, man. I’m not going anywhere. The more these angry rage driven democrats post the more we get to see through the veritable window of their souls. Plus, they defeat their own purpose.

      • Joe

        October 7, 2024 at 5:01 pm

        Tiny D was a military lawyer who oversaw the forcefeeding of Guantanamo inmates: he’s not the cool kind of gun-totin veteran you’re thinking about, bubblehead.

        • Bobblehead Kammy

          October 7, 2024 at 5:32 pm

          Okay now tell us about your military experience. Sounds like you served with him or is this some of that left wing propaganda you get with CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, etc, etc,

    • Billy Rotberg

      October 7, 2024 at 5:38 pm

      Hyperbole much?

  • Joe

    October 7, 2024 at 4:59 pm

    That’s Tiny D for you, a petty, pathetic, dishonest, short, tubby jerk of a governor. Thanks MAGA!

    • Bobblehead Kammy

      October 7, 2024 at 5:02 pm

      That’s a wildly popular two term Governor that absolutely crushed Charlie Crist a couple of years ago. Yale graduate. Then Harvard Law and proudly served as an officer in the United States Navy. You obviously have a tiny penis.

      • George

        October 7, 2024 at 5:07 pm

        That DeSantis won TWICE speaks to how far Florida has devolved since the days of Chiles and Graham

        • Bobblehead Kammy

          October 7, 2024 at 5:14 pm

          What happened to Kalifornia then? A beautiful and highly desirable state that now has Somemof the highest taxes in the country. Its infrastructure is horrible. Homelessness is everywhere. Crime is rampant. People and corporations have had enough and are now leaving. For the first time in its history Kalifornia has lost a congressional seat. It’s a dump now.

          • Billy Rotberg

            October 7, 2024 at 5:42 pm

            State farm left California but not Florida. Clearly, Florida is having a bigger problem. Funny how these democrats remain quiet about it.

          • A Day without MAGA

            October 7, 2024 at 8:03 pm

            They moved to Texas

      • Billy Rotberg

        October 7, 2024 at 5:43 pm

        Joe is obsessed with male junk. Perhaps he’s having problems with transitioning.

    • Billy Rotberg

      October 7, 2024 at 5:40 pm

      There is no joy in the democrat party. Just angry rage driven negativity. These are vile miserable people lashing out at all who Don’t swallow their propaganda.

      • Ocean Joe

        October 9, 2024 at 10:07 am

        Not so much since Jan 6, when there was “so much love in the air” accordingly to the psychopath during the so-called tourist visit. They looked like a joyous bunch.

        The rules and laws of generations over 300 years must be thrown out the window to keep the liar out of jail.

    • Michael K

      October 7, 2024 at 9:56 pm

      He clearly doesn’t understand rank and protocol. She out ranks him – and out classes him.

  • Frankie M.

    October 7, 2024 at 8:04 pm

    Ronnie makes storm prep & cleanup political & then complains about someone(Ronnie) making everything political.

    • MHDuuuval

      October 7, 2024 at 8:13 pm

      After nearly 6 vacuous years as the Decider, who can take Dee seriously?

  • Ocean Joe

    October 9, 2024 at 10:02 am

    The lack of grace appeals to those who would re-elect the most childish among us as president. It is no surprise. Nor is the fact the Fema claims have been debunked by GOP Rep. Tom Cole. Nor is the fact that Republican congressmen across Florida routinely vote against Fema funding, just as Desantis voted against aid for Sandy, and then echo the pathological lies of scumbag Donald.

    • Ocean Joe

      October 9, 2024 at 10:04 am

      And despite the political ads, Fema disaster funds are NOT commingled or used for housing or other services for migrants. See Cole’s report.

  • Ocean Joe

    October 9, 2024 at 10:02 am

    The lack of grace appeals to those who would re-elect the most childish among us as president. It is no surprise. Nor is the fact the Fema claims have been debunked by GOP Rep. Tom Cole. Nor is the fact that Republican congressmen across Florida routinely vote against Fema funding, just as Desantis voted against aid for Sandy, and then echo the pathological lies of the moron.

  • Gladys

    October 10, 2024 at 11:32 am

    We are so lucky to have Governor DiSantis
    and his team. He inspires confidence and
    covers every single issue. He is not politicizing he
    Is taking care of Floridians. He is so efficient,
    we are very fortunate that he is our governor.
    I never responded to anything before. This is why
    I switched parties to Republican. Competence vs.
    Incompetence with no concrete plans and immigration. Where is the concern for our citizens?

  • yew oweme

    October 10, 2024 at 12:20 pm

    GLADYS ,you are kidding, right? if not, you are a lost soul for sure. desantis is pure evil.

Comments are closed.


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