President Biden has canceled a planned meeting with Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris and postponed a White House reception due to the impending threat of Hurricane Milton, a powerful Category 5 storm expected to make landfall in Florida. While the reception was scheduled to celebrate 100 years of US-Ireland diplomatic relations, the President opted to delay the event to avoid the optics of a celebration amidst a natural disaster. Biden emphasized the severity of Hurricane Milton, urging evacuations as nearly 200,000 people remain without power from Hurricane Helene. Despite political tensions between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Vice President Kamala Harris over storm recovery efforts, Biden affirmed her assistance during the hurricane crisis. The situation has escalated into a political issue as the 2024 election approaches, with former President Trump criticizing the federal response. Harris's visit to Washington will continue with other engagements, although the Rose Garden ceremony has been canceled for now.