DeSantis Angrily Attacks Press When Asked About Trump Blaming LA Fires On Democrats
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) joined some of his fellow Republican governors to at Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration this week. DeSantis took questions from the press on Friday and was asked to weigh in on Trump’s many recent attacks on Democrats over the unprecedented and ongoing fires that are devastating the LA area.
DeSantis was asked by an off-camera reporter if Trump’s attacks on California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and President Joe Biden are “appropriate” given the ongoing state of emergency.
“Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives any time these things happen?” DeSantis hit back, adding:
Now, you’re not as interested in doing that because Newsom is a ‘D.’ If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would go try that. You would have him nailed to the wall for what they’re doing over there. And I know we’ve dealt with that. We just assume in Florida, anytime something happens, it’s going to be politicized by the media. So you guys sitting in judgment of Donald Trump, I mean, excuse me, I think your track record of politicizing these things is very, very bad.
“Okay. Last question,” an aide told the press.
“Trump said Newsom should resign and that the wildfires are all his fault. So do you agree with those comments?” another reporter asked.
“I remember when we had the Surfside Tower collapse. I had people from The Washington Post trying to blame me for it immediately without having any facts or any of it. He didn’t declare a state emergency. First of all, state of emergency doesn’t mean you can’t respond,” DeSantis replied, largely ignoring the question.
“Biden did it though,” hit back the reporter.
“Well, but what I’m telling you is you guys are trying to make an issue of it when I have watched from this seat. In fact, when I got elected governor, I was meeting with some of the other Republican governors. And what they would say is, hey, if you have a natural disaster, just know media is coming at you, they’re going to do it,” DeSantis said, concluding:
It’s not the same that mayor of LA if that were a Republican mayor, I can only imagine what that would do. I mean, you know, the fires are at high risk and you try to go to Africa or wherever she wants to go on some type of voyage. You should have been there preparing and doing that. And yet I don’t see a lot of heat being directed in that thing. And so, you know, I just I’d like to see some balance on how this is done. You can criticize the president-elect, but I think you also have to hold these other people accountable. And I have not seen that.
Watch above via C-SPAN.
