Details About Gavin Newsom's Messy Feud With Ron DeSantis

If you put governors Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom in a room together, chances are slim that either one will leave with their ego intact. The two equally outspoken men are known for not mincing their words when they get into a heated debate, and they may or may not face off as their respective parties' presidential candidates in the not-too-distant future. Whenever Newsom and DeSantis get into it, insults fly like bullets — Newsom thinks DeSantis is doing a dreadful job being Florida's governor and DeSantis, in turn, has the same low opinion of Newsom's performance in California.

The two politicians have come to blows over everything from the banning of books to gun control and abortion laws. In June 2023, their very public brawl came to a head when DeSantis took some rather extreme measures to have asylum seekers forcibly transported to Sacramento, California. Over on X, formerly known as Twitter, Newsom heavily criticized DeSantis for his questionable actions by writing: "@RonDeSantis you small, pathetic man. This isn't Martha's Vineyard. Kidnapping charges?" A little over a week later, the Florida governor seized the opportunity to clap back at Newsom during a news conference. 

"You know what? Stop p***yfooting around," DeSantis raged, addressing the absent Newsom, per AP News. "Are you gonna throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe [Biden]? Are you going to get in and do it? Or are you just gonna sit on the sidelines and chirp?" He also took several jabs at Newsom's constant criticism of his governing choices, arguing, "He's got huge problems in his state [...] Yet, with all those problems, he has a real serious fixation on the state of Florida. I think it's just bizarre." While his Californian rival didn't directly respond to the attack, his senior advisor, Ace Smith, took to X to do it for him, telling DeSantis, "Your whining is very unpresidential!" 

Some argue that Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis' constant sparring is good for their political images, and it sure does keep people's attention fixed on them at all times. The Florida governor tried (and failed) to secure his party's 2024 presidential nomination, complicating DeSantis' relationship with Donald Trump in the process, and even at the end of 2023, he was still determined to prove he could do the job. The controversial politician challenged Newsom to a debate, since he was also whispered to possibly be making a bid for the White House at the time (he ulimately didn't). This provided the Florida governor with the ample opportunity to hurl insults at his adversary, and he did not hold back. Newsom, who used to be married to Democrat-turned-Republican Kimberly Guilfoyle, didn't pull any punches either, and the debate got ugly really quickly.

DeSantis called Newsom "a slick, slippery politician whose state is failing," after which Newsom pointed out that DeSantis was losing ground for the 2024 election in Florida (via PBS). As the night wore on, the two politicians started making it personal, with DeSantis accusing Newsom of being "a liberal bully." The California governor wasn't having it, and pointed out DeSantis' hypocrisy by countering, "I don't like the way you demean and humiliate people you disagree with." The two politicians went on to each criticize the other's response to the Covid-19 pandemic in their respective states. DeSantis condemned Newsom's lockdown protocols while he blamed DeSantis' lack thereof. 

Eventually, Newsom suggested that DeSantis drop out of the race entirely and give his fellow Republican, Nikki Haley, who was also running for the party's nomination, the opportunity to challenge Donald Trump. Sadly, DeSantis lacked a good comeback. While the governor likely went into the debate hoping to prove he'd be an excellent presidential candidate, DeSantis' attacks did little to ruffle Newsom's feathers and instead demonstrated that he wasn't a good choice for the Republican ticket after all.