DeSantis campaign leans into Newsom debate: 'Choose your fighter'

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DeSantis on potential debate with Newsom: ‘Let’s get it done'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis agrees to debate California Gov. Gavin Newsom on 'Hannity.'

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is running ads to promote the impending one-on-one debate against rival Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom amid their ongoing coast-to-coast feud.

Newsom said he would participate in a debate against DeSantis during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity in June.

"Let's get it done. Just tell me when and where. We'll do it," DeSantis said Wednesday, accepting Newsom's challenge. DeSantis' campaign is fully embracing the debate as a potential springboard.

"This isn’t about California vs. Florida — that debate has already been settled as people have been voting with their feet for years by moving to Florida," according to talking points that the campaign circulated among supporters. "This is about two very different visions for the future of our country."

"Ron DeSantis is debating Gavin Newsom to highlight the choice facing American voters next year," the talking points added later. "The left wants America to follow the path of California's decline — Ron DeSantis wants to reignite the American Dream, restore sanity, and ensure our nation’s best days are ahead."

The campaign also released ads to promote the debate and encourage voters to "choose their fighter."

DESANTIS ON POTENTIAL DEBATE WITH GAVIN NEWSOM: ‘LET’S GET IT DONE'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking voters to "choose your fighter" in the highly anticipated potential debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (DeSantis for President)

"Who do you support?" the arcade game-themed advertisement reads.

In a recent letter to requested moderator Hannity, Newsom said the "event will be marketed as a Red v. Blue debate that is focused on the impact of representation at the state level."

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The California governor also suggested the debate be held in one of three states: Nevada, Georgia or North Carolina.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's annual Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. (Rachel Mummey)

DeSantis recently visited Newsom's state, reporting that San Francisco "collapsed because of leftist policies."

"We saw people defecating on the street. We saw people using heroin, we saw people smoking crack cocaine," DeSantis said. "The city is not vibrant anymore. It’s really collapsed because of leftist policies, and these policies have caused people to flee this area. They don’t prosecute criminals like they do in most parts of the country, and the wreckage is really sad to see."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested the debate be held in one of three states: Nevada, Georgia or North Carolina. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency)

The two have gone back and forth on different issues for several months, from Newsom placing pro-abortion ads in Florida to DeSantis exposing the crime and drug use on California city streets.

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While both parties have accepted the challenge, there has not yet been a set date for the debate.