In a recent development, former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, has publicly criticized Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, accusing him of prioritizing politics over his gubernatorial obligations during President Joe Biden’s visit to inspect the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.
What Happened: Christie, in an interview on Fox News' "The Brian Kilmeade Show" on Tuesday, reproached DeSantis for seeming to prioritize "politics ahead of his job.” The critique comes in response to DeSantis’s noticeable absence during President Biden’s visit to survey Hurricane Idalia’s destruction from over the weekend, reported Politico.
"Your duty as governor is to guide the president, ensure he witnesses your people, the damage, the hardship, and what needs to be done to reconstruct," Christie stated, suggesting that DeSantis fell short of his responsibilities.
Christie, who oversaw New Jersey’s response to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, recalled welcoming then-President Barack Obama, an action some conservatives believed contributed to Mitt Romney’s loss in the presidential race. Despite the controversy, Christie expressed no regrets about his 2012 decision, emphasizing his dedication to New Jersey’s residents.
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The DeSantis campaign has yet to respond to Christie’s remarks. The governor's office cited security planning and potential disruption of recovery efforts as reasons for the lack of a meeting on Friday.
Why It Matters: On the topic of meeting Biden, DeSantis’s spokesman, Jeremy Redfern, contradicted the president, stating the Florida Governor had no plans for a meeting, according to a separate Benzinga report thus, sparking the controversy that has led to Christie’s criticism.
DeSantis, who is currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, had paused his campaign to focus on the fallout of Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 storm that impacted Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to Benzinga.
The hurricane’s arrival triggered evacuation orders for at-risk coastal residents, while others were urged to seek secure shelter, as Benzinga reported In reported. In the lead-up to the storm, President Biden had mentioned his team was in constant contact with DeSantis, according to Benzinga .
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