Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) pushed back when a CNN reporter apparently attempted to inject misinformation into a question voiced at a news conference.
After President Biden used the hurricane as an opportunity to push COVID vaccines, Vice President Harris suggested that aid be distributed based on race and various left-leaning news sites ran with a statement made by Sen. Amy Klobuchar that hurricanes would no longer be an issue if people vote Democrat, Gov. DeSantis had had enough and was ready to push back when a reporter tried to suggest the governor’s response was subpar.
Fox News reported that CNN’s Nadia Romero accused DeSantis of failing to properly warn Lee County residents to evacuate as Hurricane Ian approached.
Lee County was not placed under a mandatory evacuation order until the day before Hurricane Ian, which hit the mainland with wind speeds just two miles shy of a Category 5 rating, decimated the area.
On Sunday, CNN’s Romero spoke with the Republican governor in Arcadia, an area significantly impacted by the hurricane. Romero pointedly asked: “Why do you stand behind Lee County’s decision to not have that mandatory evacuation until the day before the storm?”
DeSantis seemed to believe the reporter expressed more of an accusation than a question and hit back hard. Knowing that the storm unexpectedly changed trajectory, and all in the forecasted path were evacuated early on and others were ordered to evacuate as soon as new trajectory information was available, DeSantis challenged:
“Well, where was your industry stationed when the storm hit? Were you guys in Lee County? No, you were in Tampa.”
DeSantis explained that CNN and other media outlets were not in Lee County because the hurricane was not expected to heavily impact that area — which includes Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Sanibel Island.
DeSantis noted that the media’s focus was on the Tampa area, which could have influenced Lee County residents not to evacuate. DeSantis followed up by noting that when it was clear that the storm path put Lee County in harm’s way, evacuation orders were immediately issued.
“But I think part of it was, so much attention was paid to Tampa, a lot of them thought they wouldn’t get the worst of it but they did, and I think it is easy to second-guess them. But they were ready for it the whole time and made that call when [it] was justifiable to do so,” DeSantis said.
Romero attempted to push back, noting that several counties located near Lee County had issued mandatory evacuation orders earlier.
DeSantis maintained that evacuation orders were given and emergency resources were allocated in response to the fast-changing situation and the unpredictable path of the storm. The governor said:
“I think it’s easy to say in hindsight. We had most of our supplies stationed in the Tampa Bay area. As that track moved, we shifted our response further south as well.”
Not accepting DeSantis’ explanations and clarifications, Romero asked whether Lee County’s hesitation to issue a mandatory evacuation order would be a subject of review in the coming days.
DeSantis did not rule out the possibility but noted that hurricanes are unpredictable and, bottom line, individuals choose whether or not to evacuate. Government officials warn and as best they can mitigate the potential for damage and loss of life.
“They informed people and most people did not want to do it,” DeSantis said. “That’s just the reality. So you’re in a situation, are you going to grab somebody out of their home that doesn’t want to. I don’t think that’s the appropriate use of government. I mean, I think that takes it a little too far.”
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