Our hearts go out to everybody who’s been affected by this,” DeSantis said. “We’re happy to have been supportive of the rescue efforts.”

Moving back into 2024, DeSantis also rejected on Thursday the idea that people can “control the weather,” saying “he would do 78 and sunny year round” before saying that “precedent throughout history,” rather than human activity like carbon emissions, determines storm activity.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis says recovery efforts are picking up in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Florida. DeSantis spoke Friday morning at a news conference in St. Petersburg, which saw extensive damage as Milton hit the state's Gulf coast late Wednesday and early Thursday.