DeSantis refusing Harris' calls as Florida braces for Category 5 Hurricane Milton, White House responds: ‘It's up to…’

“Kamala was trying to reach out, and we didn’t answer,” said one of DeSantis' aides

Ron DeSantis is reportedly dodging calls from Kamala Harris as Category 5 Hurricane Milton races towards Florida. Nearly a week after Category 4 Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in The Sunshine State, the governor refused to take calls from the vice president, NBC News reported on Monday, citing one of his aides. DeSantis' aide said that the nature of her calls “seemed political.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refusing to take calls from Kamala Harris amid Hurricane Milton

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at the Tampa Electric Company offices in Tampa, Fla., as Tropical Storm Helene, expected to become a hurricane, moves north along Mexico’s coast toward the U.S.(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (AP)

“Kamala was trying to reach out, and we didn’t answer,” the 46-year-old Republican's aide told the outlet, adding that DeSantis has not spoken to Joe Biden either. This comes as Milton quickly intensified into a potentially “catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane on Monday in the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward Florida, threatening a dangerous storm surge in the populous Tampa Bay area.

While DeSantis ignored Harris' calls, he stayed in touch with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. The duo connected on Sunday to discuss the necessary preparations for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the White House lambasted the governor for refusing to take either Harris or the president's calls. “It’s up to him if he wants to respond to us or not,” Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at Monday’s press briefing, according to CNN.

“We invited the governor, right, to come and survey the damage areas with the president – obviously, we were in Florida, we invited the governor of Florida to come, it was his decision not, to not attend or not be there with the president,” White House press secretary went on, adding, “The president has reached out around Hurricane Helene. He reached out. It is up to the governor. It is really up to the governor.”