Gov. DeSantis takes a break from presidential campaign trail for Hurricane Idalia
TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't put a timeline on how long Hurricane Idalia will sidetrack him from campaigning for president.
During a news conference at the state Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday, he said that he had to make a similar adjustment last year as Hurricane Ian pounded Southwest Florida during his gubernatorial campaign.
"You remember Ian, we were in the midst of the governor campaign," DeSantis said when asked about his plans. "I had all kinds of stuff scheduled, not just in Florida, all around the country. We were doing different things. And, you know, you do what you need to do. I mean, so that's what we're doing."
DeSantis said he hopes Idalia won't be as destructive as Ian, "but we're gonna do what we need to do because it's just something that's important."
In a fundraising email on Monday, DeSantis' campaign added a post-script that he will be focused on Idalia while pointing out that the end of August fundraising was nearing.
"That means you may not be hearing from us much in the next few days, and it's important to us that you understand now how critical the end of this month is in case we aren't able to reach out again to let you know," the campaign said. "In case we're out of touch, please know that we're counting on you to help us out during this crucial stretch before August 31st."