MIAMI — President Joe Biden touched down in Florida’s capital on Thursday, less than a week after Tallahassee narrowly avoided a direct hit from Hurricane Helene that devastated nearby coastal counties.

And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) was 300 miles away.

As Biden stepped off Air Force One in Tallahassee, DeSantis held a news conference on the hurricane-ravaged Anna Maria Island near Bradenton, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, just outside Tampa.

Since recovery efforts began, DeSantis has tried to separate Florida’s response from the federal government, saying the state could act much faster. And early in his remarks Thursday, DeSantis brought up the longshoremen strike affecting ports in several states, including Florida, listing critical supplies that would cause disruptions — from medical equipment to vehicle parts, lumber and steel. He urged the Biden administration to “stand up for the storm victims” after ticking off the actions Florida took.