Ron DeSantis agrees to debate Nikki Haley one-on-one: ‘Count me in!’

TALLAHASEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis agreed to a one-on-one debate with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the two have got into multiple spats with the GOP primary heating up.

Laura Ingraham of Fox News initially proposed the debate Wednesday afternoon.

“Count me in!” DeSantis said.

The potential for another one versus one debate for the Florida governor comes as he will participate in a similar kind of debate Nov. 30 against Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

DeSantis scathes ‘dangerous’ Haley plan to forcibly identify anonymous social media users

Most recently, DeSantis grilled Haley for her proposed plan to use the federal government to unmask the identities of social media users.

“Every person on social media should be verified by their name,” Haley said. “First of all, it’s a national security threat. When you do that, all of a sudden, people have to stand by what they say.”

“It gets rid of the Russian bots, the Iranian bots and the Chinese bots,” she said. “And then you’re gonna get some civility when people know their name is next to what they say.”

“Accountability – and they know their pastor and their family members are gonna see it. It’s going to help our kids and it’s going to help our country,” the candidate said.

Haley also vowed to require social media companies to disclose their algorithms to the public, both proposals part of her first actions as president.

“Let us see why they’re pushing what they’re pushing,” she said.

DeSantis responded by noting various historical American figures who once wrote anonymously.

“Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison when they wrote the Federalist Papers,” DeSantis said. “They were not ‘national security threats,’ nor are the many conservative Americans across the country who exercise their Constitutional right to voice their opinions without fear of being harassed or canceled by the school they go to or the company they work for.”

“Haley’s proposal to ban anonymous speech online — similar to what China recently did — is dangerous and unconstitutional,” the governor said. “It will be dead on arrival in my administration.”

“I am no lawyer but isn’t this blatantly unconstitutional?” said Christina Pushaw, rapid response director for DeSantis’ campaign. “Free speech includes anonymous speech.”

Other members of DeSantis’ campaign piled on Haley’s proposal.

“Nikki Haley = ‘frack the everglades, track the tweets,’” said DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier. “Government surveillance and monitoring of Americans’ social media use sounds like the antithesis of Freedom.”

Haley’s team responded to the backlash in a comment obtained by Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York.

“We all know that America’s enemies use anonymous bots to spread anti-American lies and sow chaos and division within our borders,” they said. “Nikki believes social media companies need to do a better job of verifying users so we can crack down on Chinese, Iranian, and Russian bots. That’s common sense.”

Haley’s proposal comes amidst a surge in national primary polling and a massive ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire, largely aimed at offsetting DeSantis’ ground game in the two important states.

“No amount of money will be enough for Nikki Haley to conceal her pro-China, pro-Gaza aid, pro-gas tax, and pro-Hillary record,” said Andrew Romeo, the DeSantis campaign’s communications director. “As Americans look behind the curtain, they will see she does not have the extensive record of conservative achievements that Ron DeSantis boasts.”

As of mid-November, DeSantis polls nationally at around 15% while Haley clocks in near 9%.