“Charlie is running against Donald Trump incarnate. This guy doesn’t fit any of the categories I talked about. The way he faces, the way he refuses,” Biden said at a fundraiser for Crist in Golden Beach, Florida. Biden praised Crist for his “integrity and intelligence” and mentioned several times the big role Florida will play in the nation’s midterm elections next week. “The rest of the world is looking at us, Charlie. They are looking at us,” he said. “It’s really important for a state the size of Florida … to be on the right side of history.” The president traveled to Florida on Tuesday to deliver remarks warning that Republicans will try to gut Social Security and Medicare benefits and raise the cost of living with their policies if they regain control of Congress. He also attended a fundraiser for Christ and Florida Senate candidate and Rep. Val Demings (D), who is trying to unseat Sen. Marco Rubio (D). The Biden White House has had a fractious relationship with DeSandis for months, with the two sides clashing over the governor banning mask mandates in schools, passing legislation limiting discussion of sexual orientation in the classroom and deporting immigrants in democratic areas by private planes. The president last visited Florida to tour damage from Hurricane Ian in October, when he appeared alongside DeSantis and praised his response to the storm. Johnson leads Barnes by 3 points in Wisconsin Senate race: poll Fans wear ‘Fight Antisemitism’ jerseys at Nets game amid Kyrie Irving backlash DeSantis is expected to win re-election next week, with several polls in recent weeks showing him with a comfortable lead over Crist, a former governor and congressman. DeSantis is widely seen as a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate and could pose a formidable challenge to former President Trump in a primary. DeSantis has consistently polled as Trump’s top alternative among GOP voters, and some strategists believe he could woo Trump supporters in a primary without carrying the baggage of multiple surveys. An ABC News-Ipsos poll released late last month found that 72 percent of registered Republicans believe DeSantis should have a great or good influence on the future direction of the GOP, while 64 percent said the same about Trump.
