Fort Lauderdale was hit with a historical two feet of rain Wednesday and Thursday, with officials responding to more than 900 rescue calls, while their so-called governor was nowhere to be seen. Ron DeSantis had better things to do, pulling a Ted CanCruz move as he galavanted around Ohio to sign some books and schmooze. And now he's paying for it as not just Democratic but also MAGA leaders pounce.
In Fort Lauderdale, Mayor Dean Trantalis, who is a Democrat, admitted at a press conference, "Governor DeSantis has not yet called. I'm not sure what's going on."
And for a sample of the MAGA backlash:
"Fort Lauderdale, Florida was slammed with mass flooding last night. Floridians lost their cars, and many FL homes were flooded and destroyed by water damage," far-right activist Laura Loomer tweeted yesterday, according to Newsweek. "Instead of doing his job, today @GovRonDeSantis is flying to Ohio to campaign for President."
"He should cancel his trip & be there for the Floridians who are struggling!" MAGA consultant Alex Bruesewitz tweeted, accusing DeSantis of "continu[ing] to put the people of Florida LAST."
Even Junior piled on, no doubt pushed by Daddy Trump as he tweeted, "Fort Lauderdale is under water and DeSantis is campaigning in Ohio right now instead of taking care of the people suffering in his state."
Of course the angry MAGA voices all kneel to Donald Trump, who has been gifted a wide-open vulnerability by his potential, fellow narcissistic 2024 contender. If Republicans want to beat Trump in the primaries in order to have a chance at taking the prize in the next election, they better do a lot better than lightweight DeSantis.
