DeSantis Urges Gavin Newsom to ‘Stop Pussyfooting Around’ and Challenge Biden: ‘Are You Just Gonna Sit on the Sidelines and Chirp?’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) tore into his counterpart in California on Thursday morning, urging Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to “stop pussyfooting around” and challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president.
Responding to a challenge from Newsom for a debate between the two governors at an event during which he signed the Sunshine State’s 2023-2024 budget into law, DeSantis first took a shot at Newsom’s record.
#BREAKING: DeSantis on if he would take on @GavinNewsom in a debate, tells him to stop “pussy footing”
“Stop pussy footing around! Are you gonna throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe? […] Or are you gonna sit on the sidelines and chirp? pic.twitter.com/0r8jqM2Bla
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) June 15, 2023
“It’s interesting, he’s got huge in his state. I mean like huge problems in his state. We all know that. I mean, you see it in San Francisco, you see it in LA, you see it in the people fleeing,” he began. “California from its inception gained population every single year until he became governor. I mean, California was probably the height of opportunity for middle-class Americans for many, many decades in this country. No one would leave there! People were drawn to there. And yet, he’s the first governor that’s overseen a massive exodus out of California.”
Later, DeSantis responded more directly to Newsom’s challenge by implying he’d consider it if Newsom joined him in the presidential race.
“What I would tell him is you know what? Stop pussyfooting around. Are you gonna throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe? Are you gonna get in and do it or are you gonna just sit on the sidelines and chirp?” he asked. “So why don’t you throw your hat in the ring and then we’ll go ahead and talk about what’s happening.”
During a recent interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity, Newsom said he would agree to a debate with DeSantis moderated by Hannity. “I would do it one day’s notice with no notes,” he promised.
