WASHINGTON — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met with the President at the White House Tuesday as DeSantis considers how and when to reopen the Sunshine State.
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“Obviously, we’ve been thinking about what we need to do and so we will announce it tomorrow about the next steps for Florida,” DeSantis said during a photo opportunity at the White House on Tuesday.
With a statewide stay-at-home order expiring in the coming days, DeSantis said he’s ready to move forward, but he cautioned Florida’s restart might be slow.
"I don’t think it’s going to happen overnight," he said. "We’re going to have to be measured and thoughtful."
“It’s going to be done with an eye to making sure that we are not pretending that this virus doesn’t exist,” he added.
The Republican governor has received harsh criticism for what some call a slow response to the pandemic in comparison to other states. Inside the Oval Office, he defended his actions.
"Everyone in the media has said Florida was going to be like New York or Italy and that hasn’t happened,” he said.
The coordination between DeSantis and the White House has been consistent throughout this pandemic and it looks like it’s going to continue as DeSantis moves forward with plans to reopen the state.
“This is a good example of a partnership between the federal government and a state government. Ron has been great,” President Trump said.
The Florida Democratic Party, meanwhile, slammed the meeting.
“On the morning Florida reported the single-day highest death toll from COVID-19, Ron DeSantis flew to the White House for a victory tour with Donald Trump,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo in a statement.
“Apparently True and DeSantis find it appropriate to slap each other on the back while Floridians struggle to stay safe during this pandemic and navigate a broken unemployment system,” Rizzo added.
DeSantis says he will be reviewing a report from his task force before announcing his decision.
“We have to make safety a priority," he explained. "I will say though, I think there is a path to do that.”