President Joe Biden and his team have hunkered down to oversee the federal response to Hurricane Milton after the powerful storm pummeled west-central Florida, adding a major crisis to a list of others that are defining his final months in office.
“We know that life-saving measures did make a difference. … We’ve had search and rescue teams at the ready,” Biden said Thursday, standing in front of a background that said “hurricane response” in all capital letters. “There are still very dangerous conditions in the state, and people should wait for the ‘all clear’ before going out.”
“More lives are lost in the days after the storm than during the storm itself,” he said, noting he had been in direct contact with state and local officials. Earlier in the day, the White House said he had contacted several of his Republican critics in Florida, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.
