James Call

Tallahassee Democrat

Politics is such a natural force in Florida that not even a hurricane can stop a campaign. And that is especially true when a part-time resident, Donald J. Trump, lives in the White House.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum suspended his campaign for governor Sunday to return to the city as it prepared for a battering by Hurricane Michael. President Trump was in Orlando Monday night, can threw a couple jabs at the mayor while trying to give his endorsed candidate, Ron DeSantis, a boost.

In the interview with WFTV, Trump placed the blame on Gillum’s shoulders for a city that he said is plagued with a lot of problems, "tremendous corruption" and "tremendous crime."

“(DeSantis) opponent runs an area and a city that’s got among the worst statistics in the country and certainly in the state,” Trump said. “If his opponent gets elected, you’ll have Venezuela. Florida will become another Venezuela and that’s not good.”

Gillum called a foul on the President.

"Hey @realDonaldTrump — don't come to my state and talk trash about my city while we are preparing for a Category 3 hurricane. We need a partner right now, not a partisan," Gillum tweeted in response once the comments were broadcast.

Campaign trail meets storm track:

Political consultants and scientists called the exchange both unprecedented but predictable in a highly volatile political environment and the campaign season in full swing. Gillum and DeSantis are locked in a tight race in one of the mostly closely watched governor’s race this year.

Tallahassee-based consultant Steve Vancore has crunched poll numbers for campaigns since the 1990s and said he saw little political danger in Michael for Gillum, if the recovery goes well.

“I have a hard time seeing how this is relevant to the things that people care about right now,” said Vancore, traveling out of the storm’s path in south Florida.

In Trump’s remarks, Vancore and others heard the GOP talking point that Gillum is unfit to lead. The theme is highlighted in two commercials currently on air that slam Gillum for Tallahassee’s recovery after Hurricane Hermine two years.

Nova Southeastern political scientist Charles Zelden said he is unaware of any similar exchange between an elected official and a sitting president like the one Trump and Gillum had Monday night. But he quickly added it was right in line with how Trump approaches politics.

“This is Trump. He’s trying to energize his base the way he knows, which is by insulting people ...” said Charles Zelden, a political scientist at Nova Southeastern University.

Michael has the potential to be the biggest storm to hit Tallahassee in more than 150 years. When it slams ashore near Apalachicola sometime Wednesday it could pack winds of more than 111 mph.

Tallahassee will lose electrical power, Gillum warned Monday. He told residents to consider evacuating if their livelihood depended on electricity. Two years ago, 90-percent of the city’s electrical grid was knocked offline by Hermine.

Tuesday morning Gillum made an early morning appearance on the Weather Channel and then huddled with the city manager, city utilities director, the city’s two state representatives and church leaders about storm preparation.

“Politics is not going anywhere,” he said when asked about Trump criticism after he suspended his campaign. “The attacks come with the territory and I get we are in a high political season."

“But in this moment, I’m calling persons to a higher ground and ask them to be responsible for their words and try to pitch in and be helpful and not criticize our community and citizens.”

Voter Registration extended for hurricane counties

The Florida Panhandle went into hurricane preparation Monday as Michael drew a bead on Apalachicola. A state of emergency exists in 35 counties with Tuesday the last day to register to vote for the November election.

Secretary of State Kent Detzner sent a directive to supervisors across the state. If the storm closed an election’s office Tuesday, then supervisors must accept paper voter registrations forms on the day the office reopens.

“This will ensure that each Supervisor of Elections Office has the same amount of days to register voters at their offices,” Detzner wrote.

Reporter James Call can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com.

Updates from the storm's path

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