President Joe Biden was asked by the press on Saturday whether Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis was playing politics by not joining the president and First Lady as they surveyed the Florida disaster areas following Hurricane Idalia.

While touring hurricane-hit areas in Florida on Saturday, President Biden met with Republican Florida Senator Rick Scott, but not with Gov. DeSantis, whose office announced Friday evening there were “no plans” for a meeting despite previous statements to the contrary from Biden’s team.

While talking to reporters from Live Oak, Florida Biden was asked about whether he was “disappointed” in DeSantis for not meeting with him.

“Mr. President, are you disappointed that the governor didn’t join you on your visit today and that his handling of your visit makes it seem like politics is getting in the way of your joint response to this crisis?” asked the first reporter to get a question.

“Well, no, I’m not disappointed,” said Biden. “He may have had other reasons because, but he did help us plan this. He sat with FEMA and and decided where we should go, where would be the least disruption.”

“And I’m very pleased,” Biden continued. “The guy who, we don’t agree with very much at all, the distinguished former governor and senior senator, he came talked about, to me and to you all, about how incredible, what an incredible job the federal government was doing. And I found that reassuring.”

He ended his answer by saying, “I think that if we can pull all this together, I really do.”

The press has been highly critical of what they call the “snub” by Gov. DeSantis, arguing that he was making the Biden visit “about politics” despite the president not saying that, and in fact praising DeSantis.

Watch the clip above via Fox 35 Orlando on YouTube.

The post WATCH: Biden Declines to Bash DeSantis When Asked By Reporter If He’s ‘Disappointed’ in Governor For Not Joining Him first appeared on Mediaite.

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