California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom “might as well light a pile of cash on fire” by running an ad in Florida to attack Ron DeSantis, a spokesman for the Sunshine State governor told The Daily Wire.
Newsom rolled out a new political ad set to air in Florida starting July 4, fueling speculation the West Coast leftist may be mulling a 2024 presidential run. But Team DeSantis scoffed at the tactic, and suggested voters aren’t likely impressed by Newsom’s stewardship of California.
“Gavin Newsom might as well light a pile of cash on fire,” Dave Abrams, a spokesperson for DeSantis’s re-election campaign told The Daily Wire. “Pass the popcorn for his desperate attempt to win back the California refugees who fled the hellhole he created in his state to come to Florida.
“The people of Florida pay no mind to the pathetic smear campaigns from the Democrats and their allies in the corporate media,” Abrams added. “We’re too busy enjoying the freedom Governor Ron DeSantis has created in the Sunshine State.”
The ad is being paid for by Newsom for California Governor 2022. According to the Los Angeles Times, it is Newsom’s first television spot of the general election. It is scheduled to run on Florida’s Fox News cable zones beginning on Independence Day.
“It’s Independence Day. So let’s talk about what’s going on in America,” Newsom says in the 30-second spot. “Freedom is under attack in your state. I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight — or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom: freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate, and the freedom to love. Don’t let them take your freedom.”
The idea that Floridians would leave the Sunshine State to go to Newsom’s California goes against accelerating patterns that show the exact opposite. In 2021, more than 360,000 people left California, with many headed to Florida for its better business climate, lower taxes and resistance to the woke culture that engulfs the Golden State.
Still, with President Joe Biden’s approval rating plummeting, many Democrats are touting Newsom as a possible replacement on the 2024 ticket.
“Gavin Newsom had to know that this would signal that people would interpret or misinterpret his actions as presidential campaign ambitions,” James Taylor, USF’s Political Science professor, told NBC 4 Los Angeles on Friday.
Newsom has recently downplayed his interest in a 2024 run for the Oval Office. However, SF Gate quoted Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Newsom’s re-election campaign, saying, “stay tuned,” when asked about the California governor’s future plans.