DeSantis, Newsom throw verbal attacks during Fox News debate

(CN) — Governors Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom wasted no time digging into each other at their Thursday debate on Fox News, taking swings over issues including taxes, immigration and people fleeing California for Florida.

The debate between DeSantis, Republican governor of Florida, and Democratic California Governor Newsom drew name calling and crosstalk, with Fox News host Sean Hannity regularly trying to maintain control over the two governors sniping at each other.

The administration of President Joe Biden loomed large over the entire debate, held in Alpharetta, Georgia, with DeSantis calling the president’s mental acuity into question and Newsom giving him a grade of “A.” Newsom reemphasized that he’s not running a “shadow campaign” and predicted Biden would win reelection next year.

Asked about Californians leaving for Florida, DeSantis said the Golden State has the most natural advantages of any other state.

“You almost have to try to mess California up,” DeSantis said, accusing Newsom of doing just that.

Fewer than 5 minutes into what was styled “The Great Red v. Blue State Debate,” DeSantis invoked Newsom’s visit to the French Laundry restaurant during Covid-19 lockdowns as his constituents suffered through restrictions.

“He’s good at being slick and slippery,” DeSantis said.

Newsom retorted that DeSantis wants to “bring us back to a pre-1960’s world — America in reverse.”

The California governor said Florida seeks to restrict access to abortion and contraception while intimidating and humiliating people its political leaders disagree with.

“You and Trump are trying to light America on fire,” Newsom said.

DeSantis called Newsom’s answer a slick method of dodging Hannity’s questions, leading Newsom to interrupt — interjections both governors would make repeatedly during the debate.

Wrestling back control of the conversation, Hannity questioned Newsom on his state’s high taxes. Newsom said Florida has one of the most regressive tax rates in the nation. California has high taxes, but Newsom said people should examine who those taxes affect.

DeSantis countered by asking how many people are leaving his state for California.

“He’s joined at the hip with Biden and [Vice President Kamala] Harris,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis hammering Newsom over what he called California’s failures and tying him to the Biden/Harris administration, and Newsom attacking DeSantis over purported hypocritical stances on Covid-19 restrictions and amnesty became a theme of the debate.

The Florida governor said California has one of lowest literacy rates, while Florida saved hundreds of jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“You should apologize for not getting your kids in school,” DeSantis said.

Pivoting to immigration, Hannity asked if the Biden administration is lying to people about immigration at the southern border.

Newsom slammed DeSantis, saying he lied to migrants, sent them to Martha’s Vineyard and then to a parking lot in Sacramento.

“Using human beings as pawns, I think, is disqualifying,” Newsom said.

DeSantis, quoting baseball great Yogi Berra, said “it’s déjà vu all over again with these lies.” California is a sanctuary state that ignores federal immigration law.

Newsom said DeSantis was trolling people and trying to score political points.

“You’re trying to out-Trump Trump,” Newsom added. “By the way, how’s that going for you? You’re down 41 points in your own home state.”

Moving to crime, Hannity presented statistics showing California’s crime rate exceeding Florida’s rate.

Newsom said people should examine Tampa’s murder rate in Florida and compare it to San Francisco’s rate. He then pointed to the Parkland, Florida, school shooting, where 17 children were killed. Fred Guttenberg — father of 14-year-old Jaime, who died in the 2018 shooting — called DeSantis “weak, pathetic and small” for signing a bill that removed training or background checks for concealed firearms.

DeSantis said California has essentially legalized retail theft and has softer punishments for sex offenders.

Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor, has taken that city’s failure and made California a failure, DeSantis said, accusing him of wanting to take the failed California model and apply it nationwide.

The idea of a debate between the two governors raised eyebrows among some political observers when it was first broached. The Thursday event was the first time the men met in person, and placed them into a spotlight on the national stage to cast their messages to a wider audience.

Newsom, the Democratic governor of a state of some 40 million people, isn’t currently running for higher office, though it’s speculated he has his eye on the White House in a future election. DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, is running for president. With the 2024 presidential election just under a year away, he remains far behind former President Donald Trump, despite being in second place in many polls.