Obama yet to Contact Florida Governor in Wake of Orlando Terrorist Attack
Following the nation’s worst mass shooting incident and its worst terrorist attack since 9/11, President Obama has yet to contact Florida Gov. Rick Scott over the tragedy and coordinate on matters of security.
Instead, the administration opted to contact Scott via a White House staffer, which seems to be a break from traditional White House protocol in the wake of state disasters.
Gov. Scott confirmed this in a Fox News interview with Brian Kilmeade on Tuesday, followed by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who expressed her frustration.
“This isn’t about politics right now. This is about Americans,” said Bondi. “I believe he should have reached out to the governor of the state of Florida, and he hasn’t.”
Asked whether she was disappointed in Obama’s decision not to contact state officials, Bondi replied, “Of course we are.”
Both Bondi and Scott have endorsed Donald Trump for president, which may, in part, explain why the president has opted not to reach out.
Whatever the reason, the governor said he was “fed up” with the administration’s attitude, citing federal failure to share intelligence information, specifically as it pertains to terrorism suspects.
“I’m responsible for the security of the people in my state,” said Scott. “I’m fed up with the fact that we’re not destroying ISIS, we’re not vetting these people, and we’re not taking care of our own citizens.”
“What about our security, right?” asked Scott.
Picking up the slack, former president George W. Bush decided to contact Scott directly over the tragedy and offer his condolences.
“He said he and Laura are praying for us and anything he could do, he would love to be helpful,” Scott said.
Trump also reached out to Scott asking how he was doing and offering the governor his prayers. (For more from the author of “Obama yet to Contact Florida Governor in Wake of Orlando Terrorist Attack” please click HERE)
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