Biden speaks with DeSantis as Tropical Storm Idalia heads for Florida

President Biden on Monday spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to offer federal assistance as the state braces for Tropical Storm Idalia, marking a rare interaction between the president and the 2024 GOP presidential candidate, who is a frequent Biden critic.

Biden told DeSantis on the call he had approved an emergency declaration for Florida in anticipation of the storm, freeing up additional federal resources for the state to respond to it. FEMA has also deployed personnel and resources to the state, the White House said in a readout of the call.

“President Biden said Florida will have his full support as they prepare for Idalia and its aftermath. President Biden also expressed his commitment to ongoing support for the people of Jacksonville following the horrific shooting on Saturday,” the White House said in a statement.

Tropical Storm Idalia is headed toward Florida, and experts said it could become a Category 3 storm as it makes its way toward land, bringing with it potentially dangerous rains, winds and storm surge.

The storm is expected to intensify into a hurricane as soon as Monday and make landfall on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The call between Biden and DeSantis comes as the Florida governor has repeatedly excoriated the president’s policies on the campaign trail. During last week’s GOP primary debate, DeSantis took aim frequently at the White House and bemoaned that the country was in “decline” under Biden’s leadership.

But the two have set aside politics in the past, with Biden visiting Florida after a building collapse in 2021 and again meeting with DeSantis and state officials to tour storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian last year.

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