Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refuses call from VP Kamala Harris ahead of Hurricane Milton: Source

SUMMARY

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has refused to take a call from Vice President Kamala Harris about Hurricane Milton, according to a source close to the governor. DeSantis, who is leading Florida’s response to the Category 5 storm, reportedly viewed the call as politically motivated, and his team emphasized that the governor is focused on protecting Floridians rather than engaging in what they believe is political posturing from the Biden administration. While DeSantis declined to speak with Harris, he has remained in close contact with state emergency officials and spoke with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Sunday. The DeSantis administration continues to coordinate federal resources to ensure that Florida is fully prepared for the storm's impact, however DeSantis has not spoken to President Joe Biden in recent days. More than 50 counties along Florida's west coast are now under state of emergency orders and several are under evacuation orders.