Obama postpones Florida trip, Clinton campaign rally because of Hurricane Matthew

President Obama has postponed a trip to Tampa and Miami on Wednesday, including a planned campaign rally for Hillary Clinton, due to the Florida state of emergency over Hurricane Matthew, which could begin to strike the region as early as Tuesday.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama hopes to reschedule the trip “relatively soon” but said that would depend on the outcome of the storm and the president's schedule. Obama had planned to speak in Tampa about the importance of enrolling in the Affordable Care Act ahead of a Nov. 1 enrollment period for his signature health care law. He was then scheduled to fly to Miami to campaign for Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, and appear at the Democratic Governors' Association conference.

Earnest said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is moving supplies closer to south Florida to be ready in case of widespread destruction. And he pledged assistance to Haiti and other countries that already have been battered by rain and heavy winds.

“The United States stands ready to provide assistance to people in those countries who are in need,” Earnest said. “These are countries that don't have significant modern infrastructure. This is one of the strongest storms to come along in several decades, at least in this part of the world.”

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Obama postpones Florida trip, Clinton campaign rally because of Hurricane Matthew."