News Service of Florida -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will square off for 90 minutes Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern with California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Fox News.
DeSantis and Newsom will debate in Alpharetta, Ga., without an audience, as the cable network’s Sean Hannity serves as moderator.
The network said the event’s goal is to “examine the vastly different approaches the two governors have and offer insights into their political philosophies as well as ambitions for the nation.”
DeSantis and Newsom have repeatedly used each other as foils on issues such as guns, abortion, immigration and the economy. A news release from Fox News said topics will include “issues in each state, including the economy, the border, immigration, crime and inflation.”
Newsom called for a debate when he appeared on Hannity’s show in June, after Florida flew a group of migrants from Texas to California. DeSantis later said on Hannity’s show that he would participate.
DeSantis hopes the event will draw interest for his presidential campaign, as he continues to trail former President Donald Trump in the race for the GOP nomination.
“I want a forum to be able to articulate my message. It is not a debate about California versus Florida, because that debate is over,” DeSantis said while on the PBD Podcast in late October. “People have voted with their feet. They've left California in record numbers. They've moved to Florida in record numbers. What it is a debate on is about the future of the country. So, California represents the petri dish of American leftism. They're five years ahead of whatever (President Joe) Biden's people are cooking up in D.C.”
Newsom has gloated that he baited DeSantis into agreeing to take time out of the primary campaign to debate “a guy who isn't even running for president."
"The fact that he took the bait in relation to this debate shows that he’s completely unqualified to be president of the United States,” Newsom said in September.
