Miami, August 28: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the 2024 US presidential election, left his campaign and returned home after his state was hit by two major crises, including a racially motivated attack that killed three African Americans and one other person. Tropical storm intensification.
DeSantis delivered a public address Sunday from the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to prepare Florida’s Gulf Coast for Tropical Storm Idalia, which could make landfall as a hurricane as early as Wednesday, CNN reports.
Before speaking about the storm, the governor read a statement addressing Saturday’s attack on the Dollar General store in Jacksonville.
The white gunman, whom DeSantis described as a “deranged bastard,” used racial slurs, left behind a racist slogan and painted swastikas on his firearm, according to authorities. “No place in Florida,” DeSantis said.
The governor’s campaign did not immediately provide an update on his future political travel, but he told reporters Sunday that he was “caught up in this” storm and “we’ll get the job done,” CNN reported. DeSantis canceled a town hall scheduled for Monday morning in South Carolina, as well as his keynote address at the 12th Annual Faith & Freedom BBQ for South Carolina Representative Jeff Duncan. When asked where he planned to be this week, the governor replied, “I am here. I am here.”
In his speech, DeSantis also provided updates on the Idalia trajectory as it gains traction between Cuba and Mexico.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, and could become a hurricane by Tuesday afternoon.
DeSantis warned that the Gulf of Mexico, which is seeing record warm sea surface temperatures, could quickly make this storm more powerful.
“Please just heed the warnings from local officials and keep watching the news,” he said.
Sunday’s speech was DeSantis’ first public appearance in his home state since he entered the presidential race in May.
Source: IANS
Disclaimer: This story has not been edited by the WBSETCL team and is auto-generated from syndicated feed.
