DeSantis scraps pair of South Florida fundraisers as state prepares for major hurricane
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scrapping two campaign fundraisers in South Florida as the state braces for a major hurricane to make landfall on the Gulf Coast this week, according to two people familiar with the plans.
DeSantis was originally scheduled to appear at a breakfast event in Weston on Tuesday, as well as a cocktail-hour fundraiser in Miami later in the day, where he was expected to begin accepting campaign contributions in cryptocurrency.
Both appearances were canceled on Monday as DeSantis and his administration prepared to respond to Tropical Storm Idalia, which is expected to become a major hurricane before it makes landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast this week.
A spokesperson for DeSantis’ campaign confirmed the cancellations to the Miami Herald.
“In the face of the impending major hurricane, Ron DeSantis is focused on leading his state through this challenging moment,” Bryan Griffin, the press secretary for DeSantis’ campaign, said.
“He’s now at the helm of Florida’s hurricane response and is working with local officials across the state to do everything necessary to ensure Florida is fully prepared. This is the strong leadership in times of crisis that Americans can expect from a President DeSantis.”
The National Hurricane Center’s latest forecast on Monday morning showed Tropical Storm Idalia strengthening rapidly as it moves through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The most recent projections call for the storm to hit somewhere along Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 3 hurricane late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
DeSantis has already declared a state of emergency and mobilized the Florida National Guard. He spoke with President Joe Biden on Monday about the hurricane and disaster relief efforts, according to the White House.
The fundraiser cancellations mark the second instance this week that DeSantis has scrapped planned campaign appearances to deal with challenges at home.
He was set to attend Rep. Jeff Duncan’s Faith & Freedom BBQ in South Carolina Monday evening, but canceled those plans on Sunday. His wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, will attend the barbeque in his place.
The fundraiser in Miami, which was first reported last week by Politico, was expected to be particularly noteworthy for DeSantis, marking his campaign’s foray into the world of cryptocurrency donations. Other 2024 presidential candidates, including Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, have already begun accepting campaign contributions in cryptocurrency.
This story was originally published August 28, 2023 at 1:09 PM.
