By: Andrew Lu
When Hurricane Sandy struck New York -- hard, the still young congressman Ron DeSantis came to Washington D.C. to oppose. Now, nearly a decade later, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida begs President Biden for federal support for Hurricane Ian.
He said, “I sympathize with the victims.” But, the answer for the Sandy package was no. He did not and would not support hurricane aid.
Recently Hurricane Ian destroyed part of Florida, and DeSantis appealed for help from the nation’s friendlier politicians, hoping they’d forget his opposition earlier.
Last Wednesday, he spoke to Tucker Carlson, first exclaiming that we live in a very political time nowadays. Then, he requested full federal aid compensation up front, for 60 days. He urged the Biden Administration to do the “right thing”.
“But you know, when people are fighting for their lives when their whole livelihood is at stake when they’ve lost everything – if you can’t put politics aside for that, then you’re just not going to be able to,” he said.
This extreme change of tone is understandable since now Governor DeSantis is in a different place with a new job. The annually battered state must seek federal aid to rebuild once again.
DeSantis appealed to President Biden, who he once called Brandon*. Now, with a message starting with “Dear Mr. President”, he begs the President for federal assurance.
“Ironically, there’s nobody in America that Ron DeSantis needs more than Joe Biden,” said David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida.
Mr. Jolly also mentioned that DeSantis claimed he has unswerving beliefs. Now he finds himself in a situation where he has no choice but to push for actions that are “antithetical to his professed ideology.”
Through the past years, politicians (mostly Democratic) have blasted DeSantis by mentioning his aid package refusal of Hurricane Sandy. New York politicians hold a grudge, mentioning how every time Florida asks for support, they go to Manhattan. When New York asked for support, the hurricane hit Manhattan, and DeSantis would not budge.
The governor recently said that he was “thankful” for President Biden’s support.
Later President Biden said, “My team has been in constant contact with him from the very beginning,”
The President is in full support of the package, and sympathizes that, this is not the time for politics.
This is the first time DeSantis stood common ground with the White House. Just like how President Biden says, “build back better,” it seems Florida wants to build back too.
*Politicians (mostly Republicans) call President Biden, Brandon as an insult. This behavior is completely disrespectful.