Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis of Florida stated on Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Wednesday that he would be open to a live on-air debate with California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.
“Absolutely. I’m ready. Let’s finish it. Tell me when and where, please. That’s okay, DeSantis said to Hannity.
The debate between California and Florida is already over. People have been voting with their feet for years.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 3, 2023
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
When Hannity interviewed Newsom in June and inquired about his willingness to debate DeSantis, the idea was born.
And I’m in. At the time, Newsom stated, “Count on it.”
Would you engage Ron DeSantis in a two-hour debate? Hannity enquired.
“Triple it,” Newsom declared.
Hannity presented it as a “policy-based debate” between the governors of a blue and red state on Wednesday.
“I proposed a policy-driven discussion, contrasting red and blue states, as well as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis,” he stated just before DeSantis entered.
The debate has not yet been scheduled, but according to a representative for Newsom, he has suggested November 8 or November 10.
“For months, Governor Newsom has been inviting DeSantis to debate, and this week, he received an official offer to do so. Ideally, DeSantis would back down by November 8th or 10th. In a statement, the spokesperson said, “Anything else is just games.”
In addition to being live, 90 minutes in duration, moderated by Hannity, and requiring neither governor to use notes, the letter proposing a formal debate also contained other criteria. In addition, Newsom suggested North Carolina, Georgia, and Nevada as possible destinations.
DeSantis and Newsom have regularly disagreed on a variety of topics, like as immigration, abortion, weapons, and education. In June, Newsom disclosed to NBC News that he intended to begin looking into the planes carrying migrants that were flown to California under the direction of DeSantis’s government.
DeSantis told Hannity that the discussion was about much more than just blue states vs red states after accepting the invitation on Wednesday.
“The future of our nation is at stake in this discussion. Because there are individuals like Joe Biden who would adore seeing California become the United States’ state of residence. And if we continue in that path, I believe the deterioration of America will quicken,” DeSantis stated.
“America’s decline is no longer observable,” he continued.