TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — On Wednesday, Ron DeSantis told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he would debate California Governor Gavin Newsom live on Hannity’s show.
“Absolutely,” DeSantis said. “I’m game. Let’s get it done. Just tell me when and where. We’ll do it.”
“HUGE PROBLEMS”
In June, Hannity asked Newsom during an interview if he would debate DeSantis on his show. The Florida Standard then asked Governor DeSantis if he’d be up for an on-air debate with Hannity as the moderator.
“It’s interesting,” DeSantis told The Florida Standard. “He’s got huge problems in his state. I mean, like huge problems in his state. We all know that.”
“But what I would tell him is, you know what, stop pussyfooting around,” DeSantis quipped. “Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe?”
RED STATE vs. BLUE STATE
On Wednesday, just before DeSantis joined his show, Hannity said he floated the idea of a red state vs. blue state policy debate between the two governors.
“Governor Newsom has been challenging DeSantis to debate for months and sent him a formal debate offer last week,” a spokesman for the California governor said in a statement. “November 8 or 10 – DeSantis should put up or shut up. Anything else is just games.”
Newsom’s letter to DeSantis listed several rules, including that the debate would be live, Sean Hannity would moderate, both governors would refrain from using any notes and the match-up would last 90 minutes. Newsom offered Georgia, North Carolina and Nevada as potential locations.
“THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY”
After accepting the invitation Wednesday, DeSantis told Hannity that people have already been voting with their feet and fleeing California in record numbers. The issue, DeSantis says, goes beyond merely blue states vs. red states.
The debate between California and Florida is already over. People have been voting with their feet for years.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 3, 2023
But the debate about the future of our country is one we need to have.
I'm game to talk about my plans to reverse the decline in this country anytime, anywhere, because… pic.twitter.com/BbUKix8s5E
“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,” DeSantis said. “Biden may not even be the nominee. You could have Gavin Newsom, you could have Kamala Harris.”
If the country heads that direction in 2024 it will accelerate the decline of America, the Florida governor and presidential hopeful said.
