After much talk and speculation between the political rivals, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are headed to the debate stage.
Fox News announced Monday that the two governors will participate in a debate moderated by Sean Hannity.
The big picture: Newsom and DeSantis will debate on Nov. 30 in Georgia at 9 p.m. ET, pitting two drastically different governing styles against each other for the public’s viewing.
- Both governors have been chirping back and forth for several months, with DeSantis often focusing on the mass exodus of Californians moving out of the state and Newsom threatening DeSantis with kidnapping charges for flying migrants on a one-way trip to Sacramento.
- The debate between two of the nation’s most polarizing governors will be the first of its kind, especially given that it’s not an official presidential debate while the 2024 presidential election is ramping up.
- DeSantis has been running for the Republican presidential nomination after launching his campaign in May, while Newsom has been long speculated to run for the Democratic ticket himself, but with President Joe Biden still running for reelection Newsom has not jumped into the race.
What they’re saying: During a fundraising visit to the Central Valley in June, which The Sun had exclusive access to, DeSantis addressed a potential debate with Newsom at the time, arguing that he had already won it.
- “We’ve already had the debate,” DeSantis told donors at the time. “It’s not that me and Newsom have ever gotten on the stage together, but the debate is basically the result of people voting with their feet and making that decision that has been in one direction fleeing out of California, fleeing into Florida.”
What we’re watching: In the meantime, DeSantis will take the debate stage on Wednesday for the second Republican presidential debate.
- He will debate against Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Tim Scott and Chris Christie.
- Former President Donald Trump will once again not attend the debate, instead choosing to give a speech to blue collar workers in Detroit.
