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The Florida mayor who heard President Joe Biden drop an f-bomb in a moment caught on a hot mic has said that the remark was no big deal, and just ‘two guys talking’.
During his tour of the Hurricane Ian disaster zone on Wednesday, Biden was in a jovial conversation with Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy, and appeared to forget that news cameras were hovering nearby.
‘Nobody f***s with a Biden,’ the president remarked, drawing laughter from Murphy, who responded, ‘you’re godd**ned right’.
The full context of Biden’s remark was not fully clear, though he was heard following up with the comment: ‘and you can’t argue with your brothers outside the house.’
Following Biden’s visit, Murphy told NBC News that he didn’t recall what in the conversation led the president to ‘drop the bomb,’ in his words, but said he was not offended by the profanity.
‘It was not directed at anybody. It was just two guys talking,’ Murphy told the outlet. ‘It didn’t faze me one bit. That’s just the way two guys talk to each other from our respective backgrounds.’
‘We’re both Irish Catholics. We’re both devout Catholics. But every once and a while a little salty language comes out,’ he added.
President Joe Biden was caught on hot mic telling Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy ‘no one f***s with a Biden’ after remarks in his town related to hurricane recovery efforts
‘We’re both Irish Catholics. We’re both devout Catholics. But every once and a while a little salty language comes out,’ said the mayor, whose office is nonpartisan
During Wednesday’s visit, Biden delivered remarks alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and the two put aside their rivalry for the day
Murphy said that Wednesday was his first time meeting Biden, adding, ‘which is remarkable because we know a lot of the same people.’
Murphy attended Villanova, First Lady Jill Biden’s alma mater, and the mayor’s college roommate was from the president’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
The mayor, whose office is officially nonpartisan, said that in talking with Joe Biden, they also discovered mutual connections in Rehoboth, Delaware, where the president keeps a beach house.
‘It was one thing after another. We familiarized ourselves with each other. And to me, that was great, because hopefully, they don’t forget about us,’ Murphy said, saying he felt a kinship with the president.
Fort Myers Beach, a small barrier island town, saw some of the worst devastation in last week’s hurricane, with much of the community reduced to rubble.
During Wednesday’s visit, Biden delivered remarks alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and the two put aside their rivalry for the day as they stood face-to-face for the first time and shook hands.
President Joe Biden talks to people impacted by Hurricane Ian as he tours the area on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
President Joe Biden meets residents, emergency responders and disaster aid personnel during a visit to Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden talks with residents affected by Hurricane Ian as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accompanies him during a tour of hurricane destruction in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 5, 2022
President Joe Biden talks to a person impacted by Hurricane Ian as he tours the area on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
DeSantis is considered a likely contender for the Republican presidential nomination in coming years, and has made national headlines through his vocal attacks on the Biden administration.
However, Biden and DeSantis got through their remarks Wednesday without any obvious insults at the opposing sides, but with a few veiled swipes, including on the issue of climate change.
The president got almost chummy with DeSantis at one point, referring to him as ‘guv’ when he took to the microphone for remarks touting how well they worked together to respond to the storm’s devastation despite hurling insults at one another every other day.
He also praised the Florida governor for his moves towards recognizing and grappling with climate change, saying the ‘biggest thing he’s done’ is ‘recognized this thing called global warming.’
Biden met face-to-face with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the first time on Wednesday as he visited the Sunshine State to survey the carnage from Hurricane Ian. From L-R: Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, Governor DeSantis, first lady Jill Biden, President Biden
The quartet stood speaking on Wednesday as Joe and Jill arrived for a tour of the devastation left behind in Fort Myers Beach from Hurricane Ian
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to local officials as he tours Hurricane Ian destruction during a visit to Florida, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 5, 2022
Biden even said at one point, in reference to DeSantis: ‘I think he’s done a good job’
‘We have a very different political philosophy,’ he added, ‘but we’ve worked hand-in-glove.’
DeSantis thanked the Biden administration during remarks in front of the president for covering 100 percent of the cost of ‘debris removal and emergency protective measures’ in the 60 days following the first day the storm hit the state.
‘Mr. President, welcome to Florida. We appreciate working together across various levels of government,’ DeSantis said in introducing Biden.
‘Well, Guv and the first lady, thank you very much for the hospitality,’ Biden said in a friendly tone when taking the microphone and going into the devastation he saw during his helicopter tour of the wreckage.
As of Tuesday, 109 people were confirmed dead in the hurricane – the deadliest in Florida since 1935.
Around 318,000 homes and businesses are still without power as of Wednesday morning, which is a week after Hurricane Ian hit landfall in Florida.
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