In a recent speech, President Joe Biden alleged that the government is “gonna need a whole hell of a lot more money” when it comes to climate change. However, he also praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his recovery plan for the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.
On Thursday, Biden spoke at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. The president was addressing the recent impact of Hurricane Idalia on Florida and claimed that the violent storm was fueled by climate change.
“We’re in a situation, where, you know, uh. We’re, uh. How can I say it? There’s still some deniers out there, in terms of whether or not climate change has anything to do with any of this,” Biden asserted.
Biden – who has been criticized for his lackluster humanitarian response to the wildfires in Maui – claimed, “We’re going to need a whole hell of a lot more money to deal with emergency appropriations.”
Biden said he had spoken with the Republican Florida governor three times regarding the emergency response to Hurricane Idalia.
“Seems like we should be on direct dial, the two of us,” Biden said of DeSantis.
“I was down there [in Florida] when the last major storm [hit],” Biden said, referring to Hurricane Ian in Sept. 2022, according to CBS News. “I spent a lot of time with [DeSantis], walking from community to community, making sure he had what he needed to get done. I think he trusts my judgment and my desire to help. And I trust him to be able to suggest that this is not about politics, this is about taking care of the people of the state.”
DeSantis said of the hardest hit area of Perry, “We have to deal with supporting the needs of the people who are in harm’s way or have difficulties.”
“And that has got to triumph over any type of short-term political calculation or any type of positioning,” DeSantis added. “This is the real deal. You have people’s lives that had been at risk. We don’t necessarily have any confirmed fatalities yet, but that very well may change. And then you have people whose livelihoods have been turned upside down. And so, they need support. So, we’re going to work together from local, state, federal, regardless of party, to be able to deliver results for the people in their time of need.”
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump was mostly silent about Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday – despite it happening in his adopted state of Florida.
Despite posting a whopping 31 videos in only five hours, Trump focused nearly exclusively on his campaign and his legal battles. The former president didn’t mention Hurricane Idalia until after 4 p.m., when it had already left devastation in Florida and moved on to Georgia.
“I urge everyone to listen to your local officials, heed all warnings, and prioritize the safety of yourself and your loved ones,” Trump said of the former Category 3 hurricane that had already passed through Florida.
“I’ve witnessed the courage, strength, and spirit of the great people of Florida many times over the years,” he added. “Together, they will recover and rebuild, but in the meantime, be safe.”
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