Media

DeSantis Says Media Used Hurricane Ian To Bolster ‘Political Agenda’

[Screenshot/YouTube/Brendon Leslie]

Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the mainstream media is using Hurricane Ian to strengthen their “political agenda.”

The governor made the comments during an exclusive interview with Florida’s Voice founder and editor-in-chief Brendon Leslie about the state’s recovery from the storm, which has left at least 84 dead. He said the media wanted to see major destruction in Tampa Bay to benefit their narrative.

“I think part of it, quite frankly, you have national regime media that they wanted to see Tampa because they thought that that would be worse for Florida. That’s how these people think,” DeSantis said. “I mean, they don’t care about the people of this state, they don’t care about the people of this community. They want to use storms and destruction from storms as a way to advance their agenda. They don’t care what destructions in their wake, they don’t care about the lives here. If they can use it to pursue their political agenda, they will do it.”

The governor also addressed Vice President Kamala Harris claim that aid from Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) should be based on “equity.” He denied her plans will happen in Florida because they are “unconstitutional.”

Hurricane Ian swept through Tampa Bay and caused minor damage despite earlier predictions of major destruction throughout the area, according to Axios. Flooding from the storm has impacted several parts of western and central Florida, leading to severe property damages. (RELATED: Top Biden Official Responds After Don Lemon Asks If Hurricane Ian Can Be Blamed On Climate Change) 

The mainstream media have largely framed the storm as a consequence of climate change. The Washington Post, for instance, published a story on Thursday titled, “How climate change is rapidly fueling super hurricanes.” A Miami Herald editorial from Saturday read, “No, it’s not too soon. After Hurricane Ian, it’s time to say ‘climate change,’ Gov. DeSantis.” The Guardian issued a piece called, “Hurricane Ian is no anomaly.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has repeatedly contradicted the media’s claims, arguing that no major changes in hurricane frequency or intensity have taken place since the 19th century. The media, including the New York Times and the Financial Times, have used graphs showing hurricane detections to falsely claim that hurricanes have become more frequent.