DeSantis–Newsom Debate: Useful Exercise

California governor Gavin Newsom has been spoiling for a fight on the national stage. “Freedom is under attack in your state,” the governor said in a television spot he cut to be aired exclusively in Florida last year. He urged Floridians to rise up and “join the fight” for the kind of freedom that he alleged was under attack in the Sunshine State — “freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate, and the freedom to love.” The ad was clearly intended to make Ron DeSantis into a foil, raising Newsom’s own national profile in the process. DeSantis wouldn’t take the bait, however, and the challenge was soon forgotten.

But during a Fox News Channel interview in June, Newsom threw the gauntlet down again. And on Wednesday, DeSantis accepted the challenge.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

Featured Tags

California governor Gavin Newsom has been spoiling for a fight on the national stage. “Freedom is under attack in your state,” the governor said in a television spot he cut to be aired exclusively in Florida last year. He urged Floridians to rise up and “join the fight” for the kind of freedom that he alleged was under attack in the Sunshine State — “freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate, and the freedom to love.” The ad was clearly intended to make Ron DeSantis into a foil, raising Newsom’s own national profile in the process. DeSantis wouldn’t take the bait, however, and the challenge was soon forgotten.

But during a Fox News Channel interview in June, Newsom threw the gauntlet down again. And on Wednesday, DeSantis accepted the challenge.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.