Staff Reports
In a display that has all the subtlety of a freight train, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has apparently decided to ghost Vice President Kamala Harris. After the state faced some serious weather trauma thanks to Hurricane Helene, Harris reached out, presumably with a clever mix of concern and a dash of political maneuvering. However, DeSantis’s office made it clear that they were not interested in her calls, as they suspected her motives were less about hurricane relief and more about future political gain.
Reports suggest that when Harris’s aides came calling, the DeSantis team didn’t pick up, and their reasoning was unsurprising. They thought the calls had a rather hefty whiff of politics about them, as though Harris were in the business of spreading sympathy or perhaps just looking for photo ops. The situation is quite rich; a politician known more for dodging questions and photo ops himself is now trying to accuse another of it.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
Ron DeSantis has refused to take a call from Vice President Kamala Harris offering help for the hurricanes.
would have done the exact same thing we can longer Trust the federal government and no longer Trust FEMA
why should any Trust them after Helen i would… pic.twitter.com/7WsjZVSWAi
— dustin mills (@dustinemills24) October 7, 2024
During a Monday press conference, DeSantis feigned ignorance about Harris’s attempts to reach him, stating that he was unaware of her phone calls and claiming that someone in his office misunderstood the situation. With a deft sidestep, he graciously noted that they didn’t label these calls as political, even while indicating that such behavior would require a fair amount of naivete to accept at face value. There’s certainly a lesson in political theater here—especially for those who think anyone would trust a phone call from a political opponent post-disaster.
In a world where Democrats seem to be working overtime to capitalize on tragedies, one can hardly blame DeSantis for playing defense. Let’s not forget how past presidents, especially George W. Bush, faced intense scrutiny during hurricane season. The media loves to unleash a tidal wave of criticism, painting leaders as indifferent when they can’t help but look out for their political future. Harris’s outreach was probably less about NOAA updates and more about sidestepping headlines while she basks in the glory of a cataclysmic event.
On top of it all, Harris’s reputation as a “let’s pretend I care” politician is hardly helping her cause. She hasn’t even managed a visit to the southern border in years, while the situation there spirals downward faster than a Category 5 hurricane. Her delay in addressing pressing issues likely makes any attempt to showcase compassion during a hurricane disaster ring hollow, especially when the GOP is all too ready to call her out. Meanwhile, Florida stands ready for more chaos as Hurricane Milton—another formidable storm—shapes up to batter the state’s coastline. Whether or not Harris will try her hand again at reaching out to a disinterested DeSantis remains to be seen.
