The stage is set for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to face off against California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a 90-minute debate hosted by FOX News' Sean Hannity next month, and comparisons between the two renowned politicians' states are already swirling.
In one corner, Newsom hails California as the "true freedom state," pointing to his crackdowns on some school districts who sought to censor materials they deemed inappropriate for students.
In the other, DeSantis points to the number of people fleeing the Golden State for Florida and touts his record of protecting parents' rights and creating the anti-California.
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"I was born and raised in Florida. I never saw a California license plate in my life growing up," he told FOX News' Maria Bartiromo Sunday.
"Yet I become governor, and we start seeing all these California license plates in the state of Florida and a lot of my voters got a little concerned because they didn't know if they were going to vote the same way Californians vote," he continued after a moment.
"It turns out they were disaffected from the policies: the COVID lockdowns, the schools doing indoctrination, denying parents rights, the crime…"
Following the point about crime in California, he went on to say he and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis encountered "six or seven" people who had been mugged in the southern part of the state within the last year.
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"When has that ever been acceptable?" he asked, adding that the Democrat-led state has gotten "all the big things wrong."
The Florida Republican is set to spar with Newsom after a long history of trading insults in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, widespread speculation swirls that Newsom could become a 2024 hopeful and even soar to the top of the ticket. Many consider Newsom's agreement to the debate to be a strong signal to voters that he is weighing the decision heavily.
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He attended the second GOP presidential primary debate in Simi Valley on behalf of President Biden's re-election campaign last Wednesday where he sat down with FOX News' Sean Hannity afterward and provided a recap.
"Under any circumstances at all, yes or no, will you ever accept the Democratic nomination to run for president in 2024?" Hannity asked.
Newsom, after fumbling around the question, finally responded, "No. It's hypothetical. It's ridiculous."
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