Joe Biden visits hurricane-hit Florida, marking truce with rival Ron DeSantis
- The US president had a message of unity for the residents of the state, as he inspected the damage done by the ‘historic and titanic’ storm
- Florida is the stronghold of Governor DeSantis and Donald Trump, both potential opponents for Biden in the 2024 White House race
US President Joe Biden flew over the devastation left by Hurricane Ian in Florida on a politically charged trip on Wednesday that marked a truce with bitter Republican critic and potential 2024 opponent, Governor Ron DeSantis.
The Democrat, accompanied by first lady Jill Biden, boarded a helicopter at Fort Myers for an aerial inspection of the havoc wreaked in one of the worst storms ever to hit the country.
“Everything – this historic and titanic, unimaginable storm ripped it to pieces,” Biden said in a speech after witnessing the destruction. “You’ve got to start from scratch.”
Authorities say at least 76 people – more than 100 according to US television networks citing local officials – died in Hurricane Ian.
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‘Biblical storm surge’: Hurricane Ian rips through US state of Florida causing widespread damage
The Category 4 storm flattened whole neighbourhoods on the Sunshine State’s west coast, knocking out power for millions of people, then weakened before tearing into South Carolina and up the East Coast.