Finally, the debate.
Behind one lectern: Gavin Newsom, repping California and Democrats. Behind the other: Ron DeSantis, on behalf of Florida and Republicans.
Then 100 minutes or so (minus ad time) of the two governors yelling at each other and arguing about facts.
“You are just making things up,” DeSantis lectured Newsom at one point.
“You keep denying some basic fundamental facts,” Newsom shot back later.
As CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff explains, the Fox News face-off Thursday night — live from a stage in Alpharetta, Ga., but with no live studio audience — had the feel and build-up of a presidential debate, though only DeSantis is actually running for the nation’s highest office at the moment. And DeSantis had the most to gain, or lose, as he’s trying to gain ground in the Republican presidential primary — far behind former President Donald Trump and in danger of falling behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
At one point, Newsom jabbed DeSantis, saying that neither one of them is going to be a presidential nominee, while DeSantis said that Newsom is running a “shadow campaign” for president but just won’t admit it.
Newsom played the role of loyal Democrat. Throughout the debate, he repeatedly praised the Biden-Harris administration, and in a fundraising email Thursday, the governor said he agreed to the debate “because I want to tell Fox News viewers something they’ve never heard before…. The truth about Joe Biden’s record.”
But more of the debate focused on the respective records of the two governors than the president’s. They tussled over taxes, COVID shutdowns, immigration, schools, abortion, homelessness, crime and more.
Though DeSantis praised California for having “more natural advantages” than other states, he repeatedly emphasized how people were leaving the state “in droves” due to Newsom’s failures — and argued that Biden would bring those problems nationwide.
Newsom, meanwhile, pointed out that for all of DeSantis’ praise for individual freedom, the governor is tightening restrictions on abortion, supporting school book bans and attempting to rein in Disney over its pushback against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Amid all the bickering and moderator Sean Hannity urging them not to interrupt one another, Newsom said he’s used to attacks from political foes: “Again, Ron. Relax. I can handle it, I’m used to bullying. You’re nothing but a bully.” To which DeSantis replied, “You’re a bully.”
And now the two sides are arguing about whether they broke the debate rules, Politico reports.
For more on what happened at the debate (including the “poop map”), read Alexei’s story. And for more details on the issues that came up, check out our breakdown.
Back home in California, Republicans were not impressed, unsurprisingly. They kept up their online trolling of Newsom and criticism that he’s focusing too little on the issues facing the state. Senate Republicans said they “take offense” at Newsom bragging about California when it’s failing on cost of living, crime and homelessness.
Sen. Brian Dahle said in a statement after the debate: “There’s not much to debate when you’ve failed Californians on just about every level — from affordability to rampant crime, homelessness, and failing our students…. California’s future continues to look bleak with one-party control and a governor who rules with reckless abandon. Tonight’s debate was nothing more than California’s governor having delusions of grandeur.”
