Biden didn't know that Ron DeSantis refused to take Kamala Harris' call when he praised him as “gracious.”

President Joe Biden was not briefed on a back-and-forth between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris over hurricane recovery before praising him as “gracious” in a news conference Wednesday, a co-author said Source familiar with the situation.

NBC News first reported Monday that DeSantis refused to take Harris' call as she was briefing on Hurricane Helene's impact on Florida. DeSantis accused Harris of trying to “politicize the storm.” Harris called him “totally irresponsible” and “selfish.” The dispute made headlines for several days.

On Wednesday, Biden gave a widely televised address warning the public about the potentially catastrophic effects of Hurricane Milton, which began ravaging Florida's coast Wednesday evening.

A reporter then asked Biden if DeSantis should take Harris' calls. He praised DeSantis and avoided answering the question directly.

“All I can tell you is that I have spoken to Governor DeSantis. He was very friendly,” Biden said. “He thanked me for everything we did. He knows what we do. And I think that’s important.”

In his remarks Wednesday, Biden emphasized the danger Milton posed to Florida.

“Milton is Category 3 with winds up to 120 miles per hour,” he said. “But no one should be confused. It is still expected to be one of the most devastating and destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in over a century.”

Biden also castigated those who spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about Hurricane Helene – and specifically called out former President Donald Trump by name.

Biden's comments about DeSantis differed from the way Harris characterized him.

“Moments of crisis should, if nothing else, really be the moment when anyone who calls themselves a leader says they are going to put politics aside and put the people first,” Harris said Monday. “People urgently need support now, and in these crisis situations, these are emergency situations at the height of need, playing political games with this situation is simply completely irresponsible and selfish.”

Biden's lack of an answer was not intended as a dig at Harris, whom he endorsed as the Democratic nominee to replace him when he stepped down from the top of the list on July 21. Biden had not been briefed on the dynamic between Harris and DeSantis, the person familiar with the situation said.

“He didn’t pursue any specific back-and-forth,” the source said, adding that Biden “focused on the response itself.” The person was granted anonymity to speak freely about the matter.

DeSantis criticized Harris on Fox News this week, claiming she was the one who tried to tie politics into the recovery.

“I have had storms under both President Trump and President Biden and have worked well with both,” he said. “She is the first to try to politicize the storm and she is only doing it because of her campaign. I don’t have time for political games.”