Ron DeSantis admits that his debate with California’s Governor next month is a bid to wrest attention from former President Donald Trump.
During a segment on the PBD Podcast, the Florida Governor discussed the Nov. 30 debate with Gavin Newsom on Fox News, explaining the strategy behind debating someone who isn’t even running for President at the moment.
“This whole business is you’ve got to get attention, you’ve got to get on voters’ minds,” the Governor explained.
DeSantis said he’s been obscured since even before he formally launched by earned media going toward the former President and his myriad legal imbroglios.
“For most of the past six months, it’s been mostly focusing on everything that’s happening legally with the former President,” DeSantis said.
“That has drowned out a lot of stuff. This is going to be something that’s going to cut through. It’s going to get a lot of attention. It’s a good debate for the country. So that’s one reason because I want a forum to be able to articulate my message,” he added, before revisiting more familiar tropes about how Florida and California represent two different ideological polarities.
DeSantis accepted the invitation to debate over the summer, after goading from Newsom.
“Absolutely, I’m game. Let’s get it done. Just tell me when and where, we’ll do it,” DeSantis told Sean Hannity in August.
Newsom previously claimed he would do a three-hour debate with DeSantis on “one day’s notice with no notes.”
Logistics took some time to work out, however.
Though Newsom is not running for President and DeSantis is, prediction markets and gamblers seem to think the Californian is a better bet to be inaugurated in Jan. 2025.
Per the Election Betting Odds website, Newsom has an 8.3% chance of winning in 2024, more than double DeSantis’ 3.1%.
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