DeSantis lauds Biden’s support on Surfside building tragedy [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) thanked President Joe Biden for his unwavering support in connection with the collapsed Surfside building last week.
• Biden and the First Lady visited the site and the grieving families.
• The president also praised DeSantis’ efforts during their briefing on Thursday.

During President Joe Biden’s Thursday visit in Surfside, Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis expressed his gratitude for the federal government’s quick assistance and support on the catastrophe caused by the collapsed Surfside condominium.

While briefing Biden and other federal authorities on the Surfside building fiasco, DeSantis noted that the president had “recognized the severity of this tragedy from day one.”

The governor also thanked the federal government for providing another “search-and-rescue team from Virginia” as reinforcements for local emergency crews on the ground.

“This is the first response in Florida’s history outside of a hurricane where all of our urban search-and-rescue teams were mobilized,” he explained. “So, they’ve been going in and out of the rubble, searching, trying to find people, trying to rescue people, at a minimum trying to identify anyone who may be deceased to bring closure to the families, which is very important, but they’re tired. … This is grueling.”

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden also planned to meet with the residents and bereaved families following the briefing with local authorities.

The couple’s meeting would be kept private. Media personnel would not be allowed to join the encounter as requested by Biden, who often opted to keep meetings with grieving families intimate.

“There’s nothing worse than having to wait and wonder what happened,” the president said during a White House address last week following the tragedy. “It’s a tough, tough time. There’s so many people waiting. ‘Are they alive? Will they be — what will happen?’ And so our heart goes out to them.”

The president also praised the GOP governor ━ a usual critic of his administration and a potential 2024 presidential rival ━ during his Florida visit. In a recent conservative straw poll, DeSantis surpassed former President Donald Trump’s as the most chosen GOP candidate for the White House.

Source: YAHOO News