OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Vice President Kamala Harris turned heads last week when she suggested that Hurricane Ian relief should first be directed towards “communities of color” for the sake of “equity.”
Then, over the weekend, she refused to answer a question to clarify her remarks, according to video clips posted online.
Harris’ remarks came during a back and forth talk with leftist Priyanka Chopra during a women’s leadership forum in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Democratic National Committee last week after the hurricane made landfall in Florida and left devastation and death in its wake.
“It is our lowest income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making,” claimed the vice president. “And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity, understanding not everyone starts out at the same place.
“And if we want people to be in an equal place, sometimes we have to take into account those disparities and do that work,” Harris noted further.
At an event this past weekend, a decked-out Harris was asked about those remarks, but she refused to address the man who queried her.
“Vice President, can you clarify what you meant about equity for hurricane relief,” Harris was asked before ignoring the question.
WATCH:
The remarks drew no shortage of criticism last week after she made them.
“This is false. @VP‘s rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background,” Christina Pushaw, communications director for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reelection campaign, noted
“It’s just jaw-dropping that she is talking about prioritizing ‘communities of color’ when the hardest hit communities are like 95% white. Not that it should ever matter in any case,” she added.
This is false. @VP's rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit https://t.co/x9X8AstnzL or call 1-800-621-3362. https://t.co/idsw1PX86x
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) September 30, 2022
“Should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else,” billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk also noted on Twitter.
Should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2022
In the wake of the storm, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took the lead in the disaster response, even taking time on Sunday to visit a Waffle House in Punta Gorda to help fix breakfast for first responders.
The GOP governor, who is up for reelection in November, went to a Waffle House restaurant in Punta Gorda, where he manned the griddle to fix breakfast for emergency workers.
“@WaffleHouse is one of the first restaurants in Charlotte County to reopen and provide hot meals as we work together to serve Floridians after #HurricaneIan,” DeSantis noted on Twitter. “Thank you for providing meals to the linemen working to restore power.”
.@WaffleHouse is one of the first restaurants in Charlotte County to reopen and provide hot meals as we work together to serve Floridians after #HurricaneIan.
Thank you for providing meals to the linemen working to restore power. pic.twitter.com/w0AkexcUeU
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 1, 2022
A video clip of DeSantis preparing food was posted to the platform by his campaign.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Waffle House is open and serving food to first responders. @GovRonDeSantis was in Charlotte County today making breakfast for linemen. pic.twitter.com/iSAb7rJdak
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 #FloridaStrong (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 1, 2022
“DeSantis issued updates on his administration’s hurricane recovery efforts after surveying numerous devastated areas and meeting with officials in the impacted communities,” The Daily Wire reported. “The governor’s office said that there are 42,000 lineman responding to the more than 1.2 million power outages caused by the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ian. The lineman have already restored power to more than 1.4 million Floridians.”
DeSantis met with President Joe Biden who was in Florida to survey the damage done by Ian, where the two men — who have had political disputes on nearly every level — nevertheless vowed to cooperate on behalf of the state’s residents.
The president was asked about his coming meeting with DeSantis and how his relationship was with the governor.
“In fact, very fine. He complimented me,” said Biden. “He thanked me for the immediate response we had. He told me how much he appreciated it. He said he was extremely happy with what’s going on.”
“This is not about anything having to do with our disagreements politically. This is about saving people’s lives, homes, and businesses,” he said.
DeSantis also refrained from criticizing Biden.
“So, I actually spoke with the President, and he said he wants to be helpful,” DeSantis told Fox News host Tucker Carlson last week. “So, we did submit a request for reimbursement for the next 60 days at 100 percent. That’s significant support, but it’s a significant storm.”
