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As Floridians struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has received much-deserved praise for his resilient leadership, including from President Donald Trump.
While delivering a keynote speech at the Hispanic Leadership Conference hosted by the America First Policy Institute this week, President Trump praised DeSantis, local officials, and state officials for their collective response to Hurricane Ian. The president also offered his condolences for Floridians affected by the storm, per Florida’s Voice.
“Let me begin today by expressing our boundless sympathy and love for everyone affected by the horrific devastation by the recent monster hurricane – our hearts ache for every person who’s home was damaged or destroyed, for every community that has been so horribly ravaged, and for every family that has lost a precious loved one to this terrible storm,” Trump said.
“We also thank God for the Coast Guard and the National Guard – law enforcement, always, and first responders, and countless others who have stepped forward in this time of need. And, God bless our governor and God bless all of the mayors,” Trump added as crowds broke into applause.
DeSantis also received unexpected praise from Joe Biden who visited Florida’s Lee County on Wednesday, the Daily Wire reported.
“What the governor’s done is pretty remarkable,” Biden said during a press conference. “I think he’s done a good job.”
Biden initially did not contact the governor in the hours before the monster hurricane’s imminent landfall, yet he reached out to local mayors. When Biden finally called, DeSantis stated he was “happy to brief the president” on Florida’s progress, adding, “we don’t have time for pettiness,” the outlet further reported.
“You know, I’m happy to brief the president if he’s interested in hearing what we’re doing in Florida, you know, my view on all this is like you got people’s lives at stake, you got their property at stake, and we don’t have time for pettiness. We got to work together to make sure we’re doing the best job for them, ” DeSantis said at the time.
Despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, DeSantis and his administration have tirelessly worked to bring aid to those impacted in the Sunshine State.
Per a press release from the governor’s office on Wednesday, over 1,000 team members are currently performing search and rescue operations, with 2,5000 rescues already made. In addition, 42,000 linemen across the state are working to restore power, with roughly 2.4 million accounts already restored.
Moreover, DeSantis announced the completion of the temporary Pine Island bridge, allowing residents and emergency staff to cross to and from the mainland. Previously, Pine Island residents were stuck without power and resources for several days and could only be reached by boat, as the bridge to the mainland suffered significant damages from Ian, according to Fox 13.
