Ron DeSantis Responds to Gavin Newsom: ‘Stop Pussyfooting Around’

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a visit to Cha
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) responded to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this week after the California executive said he would debate DeSantis — telling him to “stop pussyfooting around” challenging President Biden and jump into the presidential race.

Newsom said during an interview with Hannity, which aired this week, that he would be “all in” to debate DeSantis.

“I’m all in. Count on it,” Newsom told host Sean Hannity, who asked if he would do a two-hour debate with the governor.

“Make it three,” Newsom said. “I would do it one day’s notice with no notes. I look forward to that.”

A reporter asked DeSantis about Newsom’s latest challenge during a Thursday press conference in Fort Pierce, Florida. Notably, this is not the first time the California governor has challenged DeSantis to a debate.

“You know, it’s interesting. He’s [Newsom’s] got huge problems in his state. I mean, like, huge problems in his state. We all know that. I mean, you see it in San Francisco. You see it in L.A. You see it in the people fleeing. California from its inception gained population every single year until he became governor,” DeSantis said, identifying the Golden State as once being “the height of opportunity for middle class Americans for many, many decades in this country.”

“No one would leave there,” he said, explaining that people were drawn to California. Yet, under Newsom, people have been fleeing.

DeSantis continued:

People were drawn to there and yet, he’s the first governor that’s overseen a massive exodus out of California. And you know, you can kind of understand if somebody comes from Minnesota and moves to Naples, better winters, all this stuff, but if you’re leaving like southern California to move to like Jacksonville — which is a great place — you’re not doing it because of the weather, because they got probably the best weather in the country. You’re doing it because the place is so mismanaged and governed that you just can’t take it anymore.

“Yet with all those problems, he has a real serious fixation on the state of Florida. I mean, I think it’s just bizarre that he does that,” DeSantis continued, issuing his own challenge to Newsom.

“What I would tell him is, you know what? Stop pussyfooting around,” DeSantis said to applause. “Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe? Are you going to get in and do it or are you just going to sit on the sidelines and chirp?”

“So why don’t you throw your hat in the ring, and then we’ll go ahead and talk about what what’s happening,” he added.

WATCH:

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.