Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slammed California Governor Gavin Newsom for repeatedly trying to elevate his own national profile by challenging DeSantis to a debate, saying that Newsom needed to “stop pussyfooting around” and get in the presidential race.
DeSantis made the remarks in response to a question from a reporter during a press conference on Wednesday over pro-Trump Fox News host Sean Hannity egging on Newsom to debate DeSantis, while knowing that DeSantis had already downplayed the idea last year when Hannity interviewed the Florida governor.
“I’m all in. Count on it,” Newsom told Hannity, saying that he would agree to a three-hour debate with only “one day’s notice with no notes.”
DeSantis chuckled in response, “You know, it’s interesting. He’s got huge problems in his state. I mean, like, huge problems in his state.”
“I mean, you see it in San Francisco, you see it in L.A., you see it in the people fleeing,” DeSantis said. “California, from its inception, gained population every single year until he became governor. I mean, California was probably the height of opportunity for middle class Americans for many, many decades in this country. No one would leave there, you know, you would go, people were drawn to there, and yet, he’s the first governor that’s overseen a massive exodus out of California.”
DeSantis said that people understand why those who live in places with bad weather would want to move to Florida, but that if you’re living in Southern California and you decide to move to Florida, it’s because of how bad the Democrat-controlled state and local governments are.
“And yet with all those problems, he has a real serious fixation on the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “I mean, I think it’s just bizarre that he does that. But what I would tell him is, you know, what, stop pussyfooting around. Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe?”
“Are you going to get in and do it, or are you just going to sit on the sidelines and chirp?” he continued. “So why don’t you throw your hat in the ring, and then we’ll go ahead and talk about what’s happening.”
WATCH:
DESANTIS responds to Gavin Newsom:
“He has a real, serious fixation on Florida, but what I would tell him is … stop pussyfooting around. Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe? Or are you going to sit on the sidelines and chirp? Why don't you throw your… pic.twitter.com/WGKDPMXKtD
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) June 15, 2023