DeSantis refuses call from Harris about hurricane aid
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to take a call from Vice President Kamala Harris within the last several days about hurricane response because his team believes the call was politically motivated, according to a source close to the governor.
DeSantis staffers also said the governor has not spoken to President Joe Biden in at least the last few days.
DeSantis later said he was unaware the vice president had reached out. "No, I didn’t know she called me. I saw [the report], but I was not aware of that,” he said.
The governor also said he had not spoken to Biden but noted he was "thankful" that Biden "has approved what we asked for."
Harris hit back against the purported snub, calling it "utterly responsible" and "selfish" to play "political games" at a time of crisis.
"People are in desperate need of support right now and playing political games with this moment, in these crisis situations, these are the height of emergency situations, it's utterly irresponsible, and it is selfish," Harris told reporters before boarding Air Force Two on Monday afternoon.
The governor did speak with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Sunday, and federal officials are continuing to work with state emergency managers to prepare for Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
DeSantis' refusal to take Harris' call was first reported by NBC News.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that the administration is still working with state and local officials to make sure that teams are pre-positioned ahead of Milton’s landfall.
Editor's note: This post has been updated.
-ABC News’ Will McDuffie and Jay O’Brien
