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Newsom Demands DeSantis Debate Him, Gets Mocked By His Own Ex-Staffer: You’re ‘Losing The Argument’

   DailyWire.com
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JULY 22: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit held at the Tampa Convention Center on July 22, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. The event features student activism and leadership training, and a chance to participate in a series of networking events with political leaders.
Jay L. Clendenin and Joe Raedle via Getty Images

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) moved from calling for a criminal investigation into Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) after DeSantis sent 50 illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard this week to demanding that DeSantis debate him.

Newsom, who has repeatedly sought to elevate himself on the national political stage by attacking DeSantis, wrote a letter to U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland this week in which he made the dubious claim that DeSantis — who is a lawyer — potentially engaged in “kidnapping” by having the illegal immigrants transported out of Florida.

Newsom claimed without evidence that the migrants were sent with “the intent” to be “humiliate[d] and dehumanize[d].” In fact, MSNBC reported Friday afternoon that the illegal immigrants were “not angry with Ron DeSantis” and that they are “actually thanking him for having brought them to Martha’s Vineyard.”

DeSantis responded to the remarks during a press event Friday afternoon, saying that the over-the-top amount of hair gel that Newsom uses was “interfering with his brain function.”

“So, the governor of California sent a letter to the Department of Justice saying, ‘You need to prosecute Texas and Florida governors,’” DeSantis said.

“And all I can say is, I think his hair gel is interfering with his brain function,” DeSantis said as the audience and officials on stage with him erupted into laughter and cheers.

Newsom bizarrely went and found a tweet from a month ago from disgraced journalist Dan Rather in which Rather suggested that CNN’s new CEO Chris Licht host a debate between Newsom and DeSantis.

“Hey @GovRonDeSantis, clearly you’re struggling, distracted, and busy playing politics with people’s lives,” Newsom claimed. “Since you have only one overriding need — attention — let’s take this up & debate. I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day.”

Newsom was widely mocked over his bid for attention, including by a former staffer, Bob Brigham, who is now a senior editor at Raw Story.

“One of the fundamental rules of politics is that the only person who demands debates is the person losing the argument,” Brigham wrote. “(disclosure, ex-Newsom staffer).”

Breitbart News Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak tweeted: “This is a weak response. Newsom started the fight with threats of arrest, and tries to end it with hair products.”

“Oh FFS. This is all so pathetic. It’s why politicians are in total disrepute,” Fox News host Steve Hilton tweeted. “Can’t these people focus on solving problems in a practical way instead of all this nonsense?”

Political commentator Hans Mahncke tweeted: “Newsom wants to elevate DeSantis to elevate himself. That’s the main thing here. But he’s probably also figured that his own chances with Democrat primary voters will rise considerably if DeSantis is the GOP nominee.”

“California governor paying for re-election billboards in other states accuses Florida governor of being desperate for attention,” political analyst Rob Pyers tweeted.

“Look at me! Look at me!” retired baseball player Dennis Sarfate tweeted. “This screams nobody is paying attention to me so I need to get back in the spot light.”

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