DeSantis Bites Back At Newsom After Expensive Ad Buy in State: Seeing a Lot More California License Plates in Florida These Days
A battle between two of the country’s most well-known governors is heating up as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) took shots at California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday after the latter made an expensive ad buy in the Republican’s state.
DeSantis laughed at a Friday press conference when Newsom’s name was brought up, then claiming he’s seen far more Californians escaping to his red state than vice versa.
“Everybody wants to talk about me and Florida. I’m just sitting here, little old me, doing my job,” the governor said. “I can just tell you this. I was born and raised in this state and until the last few years, I rarely, if ever, saw a California license plate in the state of Florida. You now see a lot of them. I can tell you if you go to California, you ain’t seeing very many Florida license plates.”
DeSantis further blasted Newsom for his strict lockdown restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as controversy stemming from him dining out during these lockdowns. Newsom, he argued, treats Californians like “peasants.”
“As he was locking down his citizens, he would then go and have these extravagant dinners at the French Laundry, to basically rub his citizens’ noses in the fact that he was treating them like peasants,” DeSantis said.
The governor later brought up crime in cities like Los Angeles, as well as tourism rates rising in 2021 for Florida while dropping for California.
“We would never allow what’s happened in places like San Francisco and LA, where these areas have been destroyed with drugs and crime and homeless [being allowed] to happen. We take that seriously,” he said. “And we believe when people commit crimes, they belong behind bars, not released back onto the street.”
Newsom reportedly spent over $100,00 purchasing ad time on Fox News in Florida, in which he claimed “freedom is under attack in Florida.” Some have theorized the ad buy is a potential sign that Newsom is setting his sights on 2024. DeSantis has been floated as a potential nominee for their party.
Freedom is under attack in your state. Your Republican leaders, they’re making it harder to vote. Restricting speech in classrooms. Even criminalizing women and doctors. I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight – or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom: Freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate, and the freedom to love. Don’t let them take your freedom.
Watch the clip above, via Gov. Ron DeSantis on Facebook.
