Fort Lauderdale, one of the largest cities in Florida, has been hit by unprecedented floods, causing significant damage and leading to the closure of the city’s airport. Despite the magnitude of the crisis, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has been busy attending events in various parts of the country instead of overseeing the response efforts in Fort Lauderdale.
This lack of action has drawn criticism from the public, including Donald Trump Jr. More recently, President Trump himself has criticized DeSantis, which represents a significant escalation in the ongoing feud between the two politicians.
However, Trump is not the only one criticizing DeSantis. Democratic Mayor Dean Trantalis of Fort Lauderdale has also expressed his disappointment, stating that the governor has not even called him. State Sen. Shevrin Jones also criticized DeSantis for not cutting short his trip and returning to Florida to deal with the emergency.
In response to the criticism, DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin stated that even though the governor is not physically present in Florida, he has been fully engaged in the response efforts. Griffin added that DeSantis had directed the state emergency response apparatus to be in full swing and that the state has now issued a state of emergency in Broward County.
Moreover, former president Trump, who owns Mar-a-Lago seaside resort in Palm Beach, Florida, has expressed concern over the situation in Fort Lauderdale and hinted that he may soon visit the affected areas. He mentioned that most of Southeast Florida has also been severely affected by the storms that have caused flooding and that Fort Lauderdale has been hit particularly hard.
The criticism aimed at DeSantis has escalated recently, with the Super PAC that supports Trump’s campaign, MAGA Inc., recently launching a new attack ad against DeSantis, mockingly named “Pudding Fingers.” Meanwhile, DeSantis’s group, Never Back Down, has responded with an attack ad that focuses on the Second Amendment and criticized Trump while he was speaking to the NRA.