As Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida, the national political spotlight in America has shone brighter than ever on Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor, a rising star of the hard right.
He has become an ally to Trump and perhaps his most serious rival in any presidential nomination contest as he has made his name as a ruthless culture warrior.
In pictures, there is a trail of destruction in Florida.
On everything from immigration to election integrity, to positioning himself as a Trumpist on policy but more mainstream on personality and temperament, the man has embraced an extreme agenda. He championed the " don't say gay" legislation in Florida schools and this month used taxpayers' money to send a planeload of migrants from Texas to Massachusetts.
There was a lot of anger and indignation. Pete Buttigieg is the transportation secretary. The governor continued to play to a Trumpist base despite the opprobrium. The next planeload of asylum seekers would be sent to Delaware to be with Joe Biden.
Then Hurricane Ian struck. Chris Christie of New Jersey, whose photo ops with Barack Obama after Hurricane Sandy in 2012 were thought to have hurt him in the 2016 primary, realized he needed to talk to the president.
Tucker Carlson asked if he was confident that he would get federal support for Florida.
The president told me he wanted to be helpful. We submitted a request for reimbursement at 100%. It is a significant storm.
When people are fighting for their lives, when their livelihoods are at stake, if you can't put politics aside for that, you're just not going to be able to.
I will work with anyone who will help the people of south-west Florida.
Critics pointed to Hurricane Sandy, which hit the east coast 10 years ago, and how DeSantis dealt with federal aid at the time.
The Freedom Caucus, a far-right group in the House of Representatives, would become a breeding ground for Trump supporters and election deniers.
Sandy caused chaos in New Jersey and New York and led to more than 100 deaths in the United States. The Republicans voted against the Sandy aid package in January.
He sympathizes with the victims of Hurricane Sandy and believes that those who purchased flood insurance should pay their claims. Allowing the program to increase its debt by another $9.7 billion is not fiscally responsible.
Billions of dollars in new borrowing should be offset by other expenditures. If a family maxes out its credit cards and faces the need for new spending, it is forced to prioritize by reducing its spending in other areas
The times don't always stay the same. He is facing one of the biggest flood events we have ever had and he needs federal help.
He sent a formal aid request to the president. You should issue a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Florida as a result of Hurricane Ian and make available all categories of individual assistance and public assistance.
As Ian would harm local activity, federal aid through the Individuals and Households Program will help alleviate these household budget shortfalls.
Reporters paid attention. As the governor said earlier, we have no time for politics or pettiness.
There was plenty of time for late-night comedians to point out DeSantis's hypocrisy.
Stephen Colbert said, "If you can, get out of the storm's path." It is a worst-case scenario if you tell Ron DeSantis you are from Venezuela.
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