COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis canceled a day of presidential marketing campaign appearances to take care of crises at dwelling as his state mourns a racist deadly capturing in Jacksonville and prepares for a tropical storm.
A day after showing in Iowa, DeSantis was again within the state capital of Tallahassee on Sunday for a information convention on Tropical Storm Idalia. He urged Floridians to heed the recommendation of emergency managers. He additionally provided condolences and condemned the killing of three Black folks by a white man who authorities say left behind a suicide observe, a will, and writings with racist materials.
DeSantis’ marketing campaign schedule had known as for him to be in South Carolina Monday for a morning city corridor in Kershaw and a barbecue with Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., in Anderson. However Sunday evening, his marketing campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin introduced the governor was canceling his South Carolina journey. His spouse, Casey DeSantis, continues to be anticipated to seem on the barbecue however the city corridor in Kershaw was canceled.
“In gentle of the approaching hurricane, the Governor will probably be staying in Florida on Monday to help with preparations,” Griffin mentioned.
Requested at his Sunday information convention whether or not he can be in Florida this week, DeSantis responded, “I’m right here. I’m right here.”
“We’re locked in on this; we’re going to get the job performed. That is vital. So folks can relaxation assured,” the governor mentioned, including that the state is staging personnel and tools to arrange for the storm.
DeSantis has came upon the nationwide stage since starting his presidential marketing campaign earlier this yr and has at occasions struggled to attach with voters. He returned to Florida from Iowa, the place he’s campaigning extensively and hoping for a robust exhibiting within the state’s leadoff caucuses. He stays in a distant second place behind former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.
The storm is pointed towards Florida because the nation tries to make sense of one other mass capturing Saturday, this time at a Greenback Normal retailer in Jacksonville, the place a 21-year-old white man fatally shot three Black folks. Federal authorities are investigating the assault as a hate crime.
“Perpetrating violence of this sort is unacceptable, and focusing on folks resulting from their race has no place within the state of Florida,” DeSantis mentioned.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.