Former Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), the co-chair of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for refusing to take a recent call with the vice president, saying in a Tuesday morning interview that “people are going to die” because of him.
“When the vice president or the president calls you to see what you need on the ground, to see what you need before the storm, during the storm and after the storm,” Richmond told CNN’s Jim Acosta.
“It could cost lives to not answer that call,” he added.
DeSantis claimed Monday that he’d been unaware that Harris had been trying to reach him, even as a source close to the governor told ABC News that his team believed her outreach was politically motivated.
Both sides have accused one another of political gamesmanship in a time of crisis, something Richmond reiterated on CNN.
“I think the day after the storm hits we’re going to be back revisiting this conversation,” he said. “People are going to die because he is selfish and playing political games.”
Richmond also took a more personal swipe at the governor, claiming the episode was evidence of “why Ron DeSantis didn’t make it to the big boy stage” of the presidential race.
“It’s why Donald Trump emasculated him at every step,” the former congressman added. “Because he’s not ready for primetime.”
