Ron DeSantis agrees to debate Gavin Newsom: ‘Just tell me when.’

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis accepted a debate challenge from California Gov. Gavin Newsom during a town hall with Fox News’ Sean Hannity Wednesday night.

Newsom had previously agreed to debate DeSantis in a Hannity-moderated debate, to which the Florida governor initially mocked Newsom for “pussy-footing.”

“What I would tell him is, you know what? Stop pussyfooting around! Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe?” DeSantis said in June.

When the would-be moderator asked DeSantis, his response was an affirmative.

“Absolutely. I’m game. Let’s get it done. Just tell me when and where – we’ll do it,” he said.

Newsom was previously interviewed by Hannity, where the host asked Newsom if he would participate in a televised debate.

“I’m all in. Count on it,” Newsom said, agreeing to do a multi-hour appearance with one of his top political rivals.

Speaking to Hannity Wednesday, DeSantis also argued that Americans have already been having the debate between California and Florida, the Sunshine State winning via people “voting with their feet.”

“They have fled California in record numbers,” he said. “Florida has been the number one state for net in-migration. We have the number one ranked economy, number one now in education, crime rate at a 50-year low.”

Expanding, DeSantis put the California and Florida debate into context of his 2024 presidential run.

“But in another sense, this is the debate for the future of our country because you have people like Joe Biden, they would love to see the California-cation of the United States,” he added.

“You could have Gavin Newsom, you could have Kamala Harris,” DeSantis said. “I think if we go down that direction, that’s going to accelerate American decline.”

“We can’t see America decline anymore. We need to reverse American decline.”