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‘We shoot!’ DeSantis puts looters on notice they could be shot, Biden praises him in rare moment

August 31, 2023 | | Print Article

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned would-be looters in the wake of Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday, telling them Floridians are armed and could take them out if they were caught.

The presidential candidate made his comments at a press conference in Perry, Florida, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in Florida’s Big Bend according to Fox News. That occurred just before 8 a.m., with the Category 3 monster churning out winds up to 125 mph.

“I’d also just remind potential looters that you never know what you’re walking into. People have a right to defend their property. This part of Florida, you got a lot of advocates and proponents of the Second Amendment,” DeSantis declared. “I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters, and I would say it’s probably here, ‘You loot, we shoot.’”

“You never know what’s behind that door if you go break into somebody’s house,” he advised.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at least two people perished in car crashes due to the hurricane.

A 40-year-old man lost control of his Ford Ranger and slammed into a tree in Pasco County. He was reportedly driving too fast for the road conditions.

Another 59-year-old man died after driving his vehicle into a ditch and crashing into a tree line in Alachua County.

Over 400,000 people were without power as of Wednesday as the storm continued its trek into Georgia and then into South Carolina, according to Fox Weather.

The Daily Mail reported that a tornado ripped through South Carolina and flipped a car onto its roof on Wednesday.

A black sedan that was driving through torrential rain near Goose Creek, on the outskirts of Charleston, just after 2:30 p.m. was lifted off the ground by the tornado and slammed down on its roof on top of another car.

The two people inside the car miraculously suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment, according to WCBD News.

President Biden spoke with the governors of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina on Wednesday, offering support from the federal government.

“I spoke with Govs. DeSantis, Kemp, McMaster, and Cooper to reiterate my Administration’s support for response and recovery in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina as Idalia makes landfall. We’ll keep working with personnel on the ground as the storm progresses,” Biden posted on X.

Biden was asked by a reporter about politics, DeSantis, and the hurricane. The president declared that he actually trusts DeSantis.

(Video Credit: Forbes Breaking News)

“Mr. President. Governor DeSantis is also running for president. You are running for reelection. Do you sense any politics in your conversations with him about this issue,” a White House reporter speciously asked Biden.

“No, believe it or not, I know this sounds strange, especially how the nature of politics today. But, you know, I was down there when the last major storm,” Biden replied. “I spent a lot of time with him walking from community to community, making sure he had what he needed to get it done.”

“I think he trusts my judgment and my desire to help. And I trust him to be able to suggest this is not about politics, is about taking care of the people of this state,” the president asserted.

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