California and Florida are home to sun, sand, surf and a sizzling showdown between two governors looking to surpass each other on the national political stage.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Californians are fleeing their governor’s liberal policies, picking Jacksonville over Southern California to escape what he considers to be a “dumpster fire.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has fired back that Florida is led by a “small, pathetic man,” touting California as an economic powerhouse that Florida “doesn’t even come close” to matching.
The rivalry is heating up with Newsom challenging DeSantis to a debate and DeSantis saying that Newsom should “stop pussyfooting around” and join him in running for president. Newsom, though, says he is behind incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden.
Newsom calls DeSantis ‘small, pathetic man’ over new migrant flights
DeSantis and Florida Republicans aren’t fans of California. They have painted the Golden State as a liberal hellscape overrun with crime, homelessness and job-killing government regulations.
“He’s got huge problems in his state. … We all know that. You see it in San Francisco. You see it in LA. You see it in the people fleeing,” DeSantis said.
Seeking to boost his profile, Newsom visited New College of Florida, an institution DeSantis overhauled to reflect his conservative views. The California governor ran an ad in Florida, telling Floridians “freedom is under attack in your state” and taking aim at abortion bans and the Legislature’s LGBTQ+ bills.
“Join us in California, where we still believe in freedom,” Newsom said in the ad. “Freedom of speech. Freedom to choose. Freedom from hate. And the freedom to love.”
Most recently, Newsom said California is considering pursuing criminal charges over migrant flights Florida sent to Sacramento.
How do the two states stack up on some key measures? Home to the nation’s tech and entertainment centers, California’s…
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