(NewsNation) — As NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo braved the rain and wind of Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Florida, Bill O’Reilly decried the two presidential campaigns trying to use the hurricane against their opponents.
“Don’t expect any truth-telling from anybody,”O’Reilly said Wednesday night on “CUOMO.” “This is pathetic … that those seeking power — on both sides — will do pretty much anything to win.”
“Yes, the Republicans and Donald Trump are trying to use a storm for political advantage, but so is Kamala Harris,” O’Reilly added.
O’Reilly also blasted Vice President Kamala Harris for calling Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office “utterly irresponsible” for refusing to take her call earlier this week to discuss hurricane preparation, which President Joe Biden somewhat contradicted when he told reporters that talked to DeSantis and praised the governor for his work in getting ready for Milton.
“How embarrassing is that?” O’Reilly said. Chris Cuomo immediately stated that both things can be true: that the governor’s office didn’t take Harris’ call while the governor, himself did take the president’s call.
“There’s political damage,” Cuomo said. “He remembers what happened with (New Jersey) Governor Chris Christie embracing President Obama, and he (DeSantis) doesn’t want that ‘shame’ brought on him.”
In the hours after Superstorm Sandy devastated the New York–New Jersey area just days before the 2012 presidential election, the New Jersey governor welcomed Obama when he came to inspect the damage. Christie endured criticism from Republicans around the country.
Christie defended his gesture to the president, saying, “The fact of the matter is, he’s the president of the United States and he wants to come here and see the people of New Jersey. I’m the governor and I’ll be here to welcome him.”