After much speculation, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) agreed to debate Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA).
In a Wednesday appearance on Fox News’s Hannity, DeSantis readily agreed to the debate that has been floated for nearly a year. Newsom suggested a debate last September.
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“Absolutely, I’m game. Let’s get it done. Just tell me when and where. We’ll do it,” the Florida governor said when asked by host Sean Hannity if he would debate the California governor.
“And here’s the thing. I mean, in one respect, the debate between California and Florida has already been had, as you suggest. People have been voting on that. They’ve been voting on it with their feet. They have fled California in record numbers,” DeSantis added.
The Republican 2024 presidential candidate touted migration numbers to Florida, along with other favorable statistics for his state.
“We have the No. 1 ranked economy, No. 1 now in education, crime rate at a 50-year low,” DeSantis continued. “But in another sense, this is the debate for the future of our country because you have people like Joe Biden [who] would love to see the Californication of the United States. Biden may not even be the nominee. You could have Gavin Newsom, you could have Kamala Harris. And I think if we go down that direction, that’s going to accelerate American decline. We can’t see America decline anymore. We need to reverse American decline.”
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The two governors are noted for being stars in their respective parties and embodying opposite styles of governance. Newsom is widely praised by Democrats for his progressive approach to governing, while DeSantis is widely praised by Republicans for his conservative approach. They have clashed openly on social media several times before.
DeSantis is running for president in 2024 and is seen as the most likely Republican to defeat former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary. Newsom has not announced his intention to unseat Biden for the Democratic nomination.
