President Biden postponed a trip to Germany and Angola this week to help oversee his administration’s response to Hurricane Milton, a powerful storm that is barreling toward Florida, the White House said on Tuesday.
The decision to postpone a trip that is meant to shore up support for Ukraine and promote investment in Africa is a sign of the potential devastation Hurricane Milton could bring to Florida, roughly a week after a Category 5 storm wreaked havoc across various states.
Mr. Biden’s absence during a major natural disaster would also most likely prompt intense political backlash against the White House — and in effect the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris — for being overseas during a domestic crisis.
“Given the projected trajectory and strength of Hurricane Milton, President Biden is postponing his upcoming trip to Germany and Angola in order to oversee preparations for and the response to Hurricane Milton, in addition to the ongoing response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene across the Southeast,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said on Tuesday.
The White House has not yet finalized new dates for the overseas trip. Mr. Biden’s absence from Germany, where European leaders will meet and emphasize the importance of supporting Ukraine, will be a blow to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Europe has increasingly feared a drop in U.S. support for Ukraine should former President Donald J. Trump win the election. When Mr. Zelensky tried to lobby support for Ukraine in Washington last month, he was met with a far more muted response in Congress than during his previous visits. Mr. Biden’s visit was an opportunity — maybe one of his last on the global stage as president — to convince the public of the importance of supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
And his announcement on Tuesday was only the latest delay of his commitment to visit an African nation. He has faced questions about the United States’ commitment to Africa after he delayed travel to the continent in 2023. The administration had chosen Angola because it views the country as a primary example of its efforts to revitalize relations with African nations after falling behind Russia and China in competing for security and economic influence in the continent.
The United States has helped rally $3 billion of public and private sector investments into the clean energy and agriculture sectors of Angola, as well as a rail corridor that carries critical minerals, including cobalt and copper, from central Africa to the Atlantic port of Lobito in Angola. The project, known as the Lobito Corridor, has also helped further Mr. Biden’s goal of diversifying supply chains.
