Donald Trump Jr. is criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential challenger of his father's for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, for campaigning in other states while Fort Lauderdale remains flooded.
"Fort Lauderdale is under water and DeSantis is campaigning in Ohio right now instead of taking care of the people suffering in his state," the former president's oldest son said on Twitter on Thursday.
His comments come as DeSantis hasn't yet announced a bid for the presidency, even though he's widely expected to enter the race after the Florida legislature's session ends in May, and according to polls, he is the former president's top rival for the nomination.
DeSantis was in Ohio on Thursday as part of his book tour and will give a keynote address to Republican voters in the early-voting state of New Hampshire on Friday night.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is to speak at an NRA convention in Indianapolis on Friday, with DeSantis to speak during the event by video.
Flooding and heavy rains that began Wednesday caused heavy flooding and a state of emergency in Broward County, with some roads remaining closed in Fort Lauderdale.
The governor's office is pushing back against criticism about the response to the flooding.
"It's wrong for the media and political critics to rush to politicize every natural disaster," said Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for DeSantis, reports The Miami Herald. "The governor left yesterday, and the unprecedented flooding intensified later in the night. He returns today."
Also, the state emergency response procedures are in "full swing responding to the flooding," Griffin said.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said during a press conference early Thursday that he had not yet heard from the governor, but he wouldn't criticize him.
Trantalis said state agencies have been assisting, including supplying airboats from the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
"I'm not sure if the governor himself needs to be involved, but the state agencies have been very helpful in working with us to take on this challenge," he said.
Later in the day, the mayor told the Miami Herald that Florida's chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, had called him to see what Fort Lauderdale needs.
Trantalis said he's also spoken with White House representatives, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy, a Democrat like Trantalis, agreed that there has been an appropriate response from the state so far.
"I'm not putting this on the governor," Levy said. "Everyone has all hands on deck. I don't think it's time to point political fingers. It's time to respond to the disaster."
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., who represents some parts of Broward County and had served as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management under DeSantis, said the governor's timing in issuing an emergency declaration one day after the most rainfall occurred was "standard protocol," as emergency measures are difficult to make when there is flash flooding.
He also said he's not concerned about DeSantis being out of the state while the rescue efforts continue in Fort Lauderdale, as getting the emergency declaration is "all that matters."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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