President Biden heads to Florida to see Idalia’s destruction. But he won’t be seeing Gov. DeSantis

By WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is heading to Florida for a firsthand look at Hurricane Idalia’s destruction. But he won’t be seeing the state’s Republican governor and 2024 presidential hopeful, Ron DeSantis. The governor suggested that such a meeting could hinder disaster response efforts. Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning along Florida’s sparsely populated Big Bend region as a Category 3 storm, causing widespread flooding and damage before moving north to drench Georgia and the Carolinas. But Biden’s visit to see its effects has become engulfed by politics. That’s because DeSantis’ statement Friday saying he had “no plans” to see the president during his Florida trip came hours after Biden said he’d be meeting with the governor.