President Joe Biden will travel to Florida on Sunday to see firsthand the damage from Hurricane Milton, the second of two powerful storms that have battered the state in recent weeks and became a political issue in the 2024 election.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have sought to assure voters — in particular those devastated by the storms — that they are doing all they can to help with the response and recovery efforts, seeking to counter claims from Republican former President Donald Trump that the administration is not doing enough.
The White House announced Biden’s travel plans in a statement on Friday.
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The president lambasted Trump on Wednesday for what he said were “outright lies” about the federal response, singling out unfounded claims about how much aid was being offered to victims. Harris has also accused Trump and Republican critics of spreading misinformation and warned that it threatens to undercut efforts to help communities in need.
An earlier storm — Helene, which struck the US southeast last month and tore across several states, including the battlegrounds of Georgia and North Carolina — saw the two presidential candidates shift their travel plans and visit affected areas seeking to convince voters they would be best prepared to handle such disasters.
Biden has also sought to rebut Trump’s assertions that the White House is not acting forcefully to address the disasters. Earlier this month, Biden visited four states — including Florida — in the aftermath of Helene, which brought heavy rains and flooding that killed more than 230 people.
The president has also held daily briefings and spoken from the White House this week ahead of Milton and in the aftermath of the storm, including urging Congress to return early from a pre-election recess to pass additional aid. House Speaker Mike Johnson discounted that idea Thursday, meaning neogtiations over funding are unlikely before November’s election.
The full scope of Milton’s destruction won’t be known for days. While the storm surge was lower than feared, Milton’s high winds and rain destroyed homes and crops and left millions without power. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the death toll stood at 10 during a briefing Thursday.
It’s unclear if Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will meet with Biden during the visit. DeSantis joined the president in 2022 when they surveyed the damage from another powerful storm, Hurricane Ian, and in 2021 after the Surfside building collapse.
They did not meet when Biden visited the state earlier this month but the president said the two have spoken by phone to address Milton. DeSantis sought the GOP presidential nomination this cycle before dropping out and endorsing Trump.
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