It looks like Biden and Harris just can’t seem to get on the same page. On Tuesday, Biden openly praised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for his handling of hurricane relief, only hours after Harris went on The View to bash him. While Harris accused DeSantis of playing “political games” and avoiding her calls about disaster aid, Biden took a completely different tack. He even told reporters that he gave DeSantis his personal phone number, saying, “He’s doing such a good job.” Yep, you read that right— Biden is praising a prominent Republican governor while his own VP is on national television throwing shade. You can’t make this stuff up.
During her appearance on The View, Harris pulled no punches, calling DeSantis “utterly irresponsible.” She said he’d been dodging her efforts to coordinate hurricane assistance and questioned his leadership in times of crisis. But DeSantis quickly clapped back in an interview with Fox News, saying, “She has not once called me for hurricane assistance in three and a half years.” According to DeSantis, Harris is out of the loop, and his main contact in Washington has always been Biden. And honestly, given Biden’s enthusiastic endorsement, it’s hard not to believe him.
So, what’s going on here? Biden and Harris’s public dissonance is hardly a new phenomenon. Remember, this isn’t the first time the Biden has seemingly undermined his VP. Just last week, Biden scheduled an impromptu press conference at the exact moment Harris was speaking at a rally in Michigan, effectively cutting her off mid-speech. Maybe it’s just bad timing, but it’s starting to look like the two aren’t exactly in sync.
And let’s not overlook how DeSantis framed Harris’s comments as pure political theater. “She has no role in this,” he said, slamming her as “delusional” for trying to involve herself in Florida’s hurricane response. He made it clear that his focus is solely on Floridians and not “partisan battles.” With Hurricane Milton—a monstrous Category 5—bearing down on Florida, the last thing people need is more political noise. They need leaders who can actually get things done, and according to Biden himself, DeSantis is doing just that.
In the end, it’s a bad look for the White House. Biden’s apparent admiration for DeSantis, especially as Harris goes on the attack, signals mixed messages at a time when Floridians need unity and action, not a disjointed blame game. Whether intentional or not, Biden’s praise of DeSantis over his own VP’s criticism only highlights the growing disconnect between the two. As Election Day nears, Americans are watching closely—and mixed signals like these aren’t exactly reassuring.