Trump lands in Florida for third tour of hurricane damage in 17 days

FORT MYERS, Fla. — President Trump landed in Florida Thursday to survey the extent of Hurricane Irma’s destruction, thank public safety services and meet first-hand with victims of the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005.

Speaking in front of a Coast Guard helicopter at Southwest Florida International Airport, Trump thanked first responders and other officials working to rescue stranded residents, restore utilities and ensure public safety — even thanking the media for keeping people informed.

“I want to thank everybody. I don’t want to see you next week. We’ve seen you enough,” he joked. “We’ve seen the devastation. We’re going to see some more today, unfortunately,” he said.

But then Trump also injected some politics into his visit, congratulating Florida’s Republican governor for his efforts: “I hope this man, Rick Scott, runs for the Senate.”

The trip marks the third hurricane-ravaged state that Trump has visited in just the past three weeks, as the double-barreled hits of hurricanes Harvey and Irma exacted a heavy toll on the Gulf Coast states of Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

More: Analysis: After hurricanes, President Trump takes up role of ‘responder-in-chief’

Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing from federal, state, and local officials about Irma recovery efforts. 

After landing in Fort Myers, Trump quickly boarded a helicopter for nearby Naples to “visit a neighborhood that was devastated by the hurricane,” deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Vice President Pence is joining Trump in both Fort Myers and Naples, but traveled separately on Air Force Two following a long-standing practice that the president and vice president never fly together. 

Gregory Korte contributed from Washington.

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