‘Anytime, Anywhere’: DeSantis, Newsom Agree to Debate on Live TV

A public debate between Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has been tentatively agreed to by both men following months of the pair taking shots at one another in the media.

DeSantis told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday that he would stand next to the man who has presided over the failed state of California since 2019 on a stage.

Newsom isn’t running for presiden,t and DeSantis is a long way from securing the Republican Party’s nomination for president.

But this is a debate the American people need to see. Both governors took office the same week. Their states are headed in two different directions after both men cruised to re-election last fall.

Newsom twice had the benefit of running in a one-party state where Republicans stopped being competitive years ago.

DeSantis built Florida, a former swing state, into an enclave for sane ideas and people after a razor-thin victory in 2018.

People are fleeing California for the promise of freedom while Florida’s cities are making room for many of the refugees.

“The debate between California and Florida is already over,” the Florida Republican tweeted after the interview. “People have been voting with their feet for years.”

He added, “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 I have the best vision for the future of our country.”

The debate between California and Florida is already over. People have been voting with their feet for years.

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

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 3, 2023

During Wednesday’s interview, Hannity asked DeSantis, “You heard Gavin make the offer [to debate]. Your answer is?”

DeSantis responded, “Absolutely. I’m game. Let’s get it done. Just tell me when and where. We’ll do it.”

The governor pointed out his state has welcomed Californians fleeing high taxes and the regulation of their rights throughout the past several years.

Florida won the argument long ago.

But DeSantis underscored the importance of having such a debate because of its ability to showcase how Florida and California ended up in their respective spots and how a substantive conversation about it could show voters a coming fork in the road on the national stage.

“This is the debate for the future of our country,” DeSantis said.

Newsom said he wouldn’t hesitate to debate DeSantis during a similar interview with Hannity in June.

“Do it with one-day notice with no notes. I look forward to that,” Newsom said. “We could talk about his zest for demonization. We could talk about his assault on free enterprise.”

Asked about extending the forum to two hours, Newsom responded, “Make it three.”

That’s a lot of arrogance for a man whose state can’t keep residents, prevent crime, or punish those who perpetrate it — and it is overseeing an exodus of business.

Newsom oddly began singling out DeSantis last year for his policies protecting children, business, liberty and national sovereignty.

The feud between the men has since grown. The Democrat visited Florida earlier this year in an attempt to portray the state as a totalitarian haven for intolerance.

People in Sarasota knew where to use the restroom.

In June, DeSantis visited the Newsom glass house that is San Francisco for a first-hand look at how badly California’s state and local leaders have failed.

He said he witnessed people defecating in the streets.

Two very different approaches to philosophy, leadership, compassion and policy put California and Florida on their respective paths.

Those same differing philosophies are shared by millions of Republicans and Democrats nationally.

A meaningful televised debate on them could help a lot of people in the middle make up their minds about what kind of a country they would like to live in after almost three years of failed Democratic leadership at a national level.

Newsom, who is a relatively young 55, represents those ideas and the next generation of leaders who will push them on a country beleaguered by debt, cultural rot and an American dream that feels financially out of reach for so many people.

DeSantis, 44, represents a new generation of conservative leadership, and the results have been clear: Florida is America’s shining light.

The governor should take every opportunity to spar with his Democratic counterpart on the issues. With results on his side, he can’t lose.

KCRA-TV reported Newsom has made time for a debate in the second week of November.