Former President Donald Trump on Thursday published a video message to the people of Florida in the wake of Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in the state less than two weeks after Florida endured Hurricane Helene.
The hurricane, once as strong as a Category 5, hit the central west coast of Florida on Wednesday evening, bringing with it powerful winds and torrential rain and spawning more than 150 tornados.
“Melania and I are praying for you as you face the aftermath of Hurricane Milton,” Trump said in the video message. “We are deeply saddened by the devastation being reported.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Milton has already claimed four lives, and 3.4 million customers in the state remain without power.
“We want God to be with you,” the former president said. “We know God is with you. Our hearts go out to each and every one of you. To those who’ve lost so much, know that you are not alone. We’ve seen you stand tall against storms before, and you will stand tall now.”
Trump also said he’ll “hopefully” take the White House in November and work to rebuild Florida “stronger, bigger, better than ever before.”
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“Please keep your faith, hold strong, and look out for one another,” the Republican candidate reiterated. “The sun will shine again over the beautiful Florida that we love so much.”
Trump closed the video by praising Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. “Your governor has been doing an excellent job,” he said. “I’ve been talking to him and watching — Ron is doing a really good job, we’re proud of him.”
WATCH:
TO THE GREAT PEOPLE OF FLORIDA… pic.twitter.com/hv34G8hpr2
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2024
DeSantis has also been praised by President Joe Biden for his hurricane preparation. Notably, Biden’s remarks about DeSantis undermine Vice President Kamala Harris’ narrative that DeSantis was being “selfish” and ignoring her calls.
The governor has publicly criticized Harris for politicizing the hurricane and made note that the Democrat nominee has never called him for any other hurricane prep.
Ron DeSantis just took Kamala Harris to the cleaners this morning on Fox News.
Absolutely brutal takedown. pic.twitter.com/PNE3OVaNj7
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 8, 2024
Related: ‘Major’ Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall Over Florida
