Gavin Newsom Takes A Dig At Ron DeSantis In TV Debate: 'Neither Of Us Will Be The Nominee For Our Party In 2024'

California’s Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis clashed in a live televised debate on Fox News on Thursday.

What Happened: The event, dubbed the “Great Red vs. Blue State Debate,” was hosted by Fox News and moderated by network host Sean Hannity.

As the debate kicked off, the Californian Governor took a dig at DeSantis, asserting that neither of them would secure their respective party’s presidential nomination in 2024. “There are profound differences tonight, and I look forward to engaging, but there’s one thing in closing that we have in common, is neither of us will be the nominee for our party in 2024,” said Newsom.

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Why It Matters: The debate, a culmination of heated rivalry between the two political figures, saw the lone 2024 presidential candidate, DeSantis, sharing the stage with Newsom. The latest Morning Consult poll of GOP voters showed Donald Trump with a comfortable 50-point lead over his Republican opponents. While Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ranked second with 14% of support from GOP voters.

Newson, who has been frequently speculated as a presidential hopeful, has repeatedly deflected questions about his aspirations, choosing instead to voice support for President Joe Biden‘s 2024 campaign. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also recently called out the California Governor for allegedly running a shadow presidential campaign for 2024.

Meanwhile, referring to his role in the debate, Hannity emphasized that he would be a referee, not a participant, in this unique clash of political titans.

Photos via Shutterstock

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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.