There’s likely no politician can’t stand Gavin Newsom more than Ron DeSantis. The Florida and California governors are like chalk and cheese, and they’ve been publicly duking it out for years over seemingly everything. In December 2022, Dan Rather suggested setting up a debate between the warring couple. “Two governors of big states, potential presidential candidates. Prime time. Ratings I bet would be huge. Who would have the courage to show up?” the journalist posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsom was in. “I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before Election Day,” he taunted DeSantis. “I look forward to the opportunity to debate Gavin Newsom over our very different visions for the future of our country,” the Floridian announced. And it was on. The two squared off in a heated debate in December 2023, where they fought over gun safety, LGBTQ+ rights, COVID-19 lockdown measures, abortion, crime prevention, and immigration, among other topics.
As noted by NBC News, the battle included its fair share of zingers, including DeSantis accusing Newsom of being “a slick, slippery politician whose state is failing” and holding up a map which, he claimed, showed areas of San Francisco that were covered in human feces. Meanwhile, Newsom accused DeSantis of attempting to “out-Trump Trump.” The fight eventually spiraled into a kind of political “Mean Girls” remake: “You’re nothing but a bully,” Newsom lobbed at DeSantis. “You’re a bully,” he shot back.
