6 Takeaways From Newsom-DeSantis Debate
Jarrett Stepman /
@JarrettStepman / November 30, 2023
People watch a debate between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a watch party at Manny's on Nov. 30, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
In their long-awaited debate, Govs.
Gavin Newsom and
Ron DeSantis did not disappoint, vigorously sparring on issues from crime to the border to gender transition for minors.
Newsom, a Democrat, and DeSantis, a Republican, defended their different approaches to governing two of America’s most populous states: California and Florida.
Fox News host Sean Hannity moderated the Thursday night debate, which ran around ninety minutes. Here are some highlights from it:
- COVID-19 and Lockdowns
DeSantis and Newsom had a lenghty exchange on
COVID-19 lockdowns while discussing the economy in their respective states.
When DeSantis was discussing how businesses were doing better in Florida, Newsom interjected by asking if that was the opinion of
Disney.
“That’s an interesting point with Disney because
I had Disney open during COVID and we made them a fortune and we saved a lot of jobs,” DeSantis said. “You had Disney closed inexplicably for over a year, you were not following science, you were a lockdown governor, you did a lot of damage to your people. I don't understand why you hate business and prosperity for your citizens. Is it because poor people and dead people always vote for democrats?”
Newsom responded by saying that DeSantis declared an emergency declaration before he did.
“You closed down your beaches, your bars, your restaurants, it’s a fact, you had quarantines, you had checkpoints all over the state of Florida,” Newsom said. “ … You followed science, you followed [Dr. Anthony] Fauci.”
He further said that DeSantis’ policies catered to the “fringe” of his party and led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
DeSantis responded by saying that a Lancet study showed that
Florida had “a lower standardized death rate than California did and democrats don't mind lieing about it...even though daily you tried to convince us to kill our economy with lockdowns.”