Newsom jabs at DeSantis for permitless carry, urges he move beyond ‘cultural war’
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FLV) – Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., said Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., is going to get “rolled by [former President Donald] Trump” and should wait a few years to “come back as a more seasoned and capable leader with a little humility.”
Although DeSantis has not announced a bid for president, Newsom offered his take during MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.”
“You are not advising Governor DeSantis, I know that, but what is his political path here? Should he be running away from criticizing Trump? Should he be speaking up for the rule of law?” Psaki asked.
“He’s gonna get rolled by Trump. Trump’s just gonna roll him. Thumped,” Newsom said.
“I, honestly, if I were offering him political advice, I’d tell him to pack up and wait a few years, and actually do some of the hard work, which actually includes governing, not just identity and cultural war, actually go back and start to address some insurance issues, start to address some of the cost issues, particularly cost of housing.”
Former President Donald Trump previously announced his run for president in 2024.
Newsom said he would be focusing on other issues such as expanding Medicaid, and the “acuity of the environment.”
“That would be my advice, come back as a more seasoned and capable leader with a little humility. Which by the way, he could use a little of,” Newsom said on DeSantis.
“@GovRonDeSantis: spends his time governing on behalf of Floridians, implementing conservative policy, and spreading Florida’s blueprint for success. @GavinNewsom: spends his time talking about Governor DeSantis,” deputy press secretary Jeremy Redfern said on Twitter.
Psaki brought up the recent shooting in Nashville and asked Newsom what he makes of DeSantis signing a bill on permitless carry “behind closed doors.”
“Scared to death,” Newsom said.
“Who is he scared of?” Psaki asked.
“Scared of the people […] Scared of the public, yeah, that overwhelmingly opposed that position. But, I think the majority of NRA members, you know, probably oppose that position. No background checks. None? Really? I mean, no training… why would we do that with weapons of war?” Newsom said.
On April 5, Newsom made an appearance at the New College of Florida, a public college where DeSantis’ appointees recently abolished the institution’s “equity” ideology for a merit-based approach.
According to a report by the Herald Tribune, Newsom said DeSantis has a “zest for demonization.”
He reportedly “highlighted everything from book bans to alleged infringements on voting rights in his speech before participating in a roundtable discussion with students.”
DeSantis will soon travel to South Carolina and make a public appearance, further adding to his stacked travel plans for April.
In light of his Feb. 28 book launch of “The Courage to Be Free,” DeSantis is making rounds across states from the Rust Belt to Texas and the West Coast.
