Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to have to remind President Joe Biden to talk about the tragedy that happened in Miami, Florida, on Thursday morning when a condominium partially collapsed.
“So, again, if it turns out that what I’ve done so far — what we’ve done so far is a mistake, it’s going to show,” Biden said toward the end of his press conference on Thursday afternoon. “It’s going to show. The economy is not going to grow, like it wasn’t before. People aren’t going to have jobs with increased pay, like it was before. People are going to be out of work, like it was before, with no options. Unemployment is going to continue to climb, instead of continue to go down. If that happens, then my policies didn’t make a lot of sense, but I’m counting on it not. That’s my counting how it’s working.”
“I’ve got to get a helicopter [inaudible],” Biden concluded. “Thank you.”
At that moment, Harris is seen approaching Biden before he leaves the podium and telling him something — at one point, it appears as though she says the word “Florida.”
As Harris made the remarks to Biden, reporters shouted, “Mr. President, will you travel to Florida, sir?” and “Can we ask you about Florida — what you’ve learned and what you’ve [inaudible]?”
“Oh, yes. I apologize,” Biden said. “Yes, thank you. I’ve spoken with, coincidentally, the mayor of Miami-Dade, who was in my office yesterday. And I talked to her today — not about that, obviously — and so I had a long discussion with her today.”
“I’ve also spoken with — we’ve been in contact with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who has that district. We’ve gotten in touch with FEMA. They’re ready to go,” Biden continued. “The governor is going to have to — we can’t — they’re — they’re down inspecting in what is — what they think is needed. But I’m waiting for the governor to ask for — declare an emergency if — and especially as we learn more about what the rest — might happen with the rest of the building.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency.
As of Friday morning, Miami Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that four people have died and 159 people remain unaccounted for. The number of people who have been accounted for has grown to 120.
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