DeSantis Campaign Press Release - WTAS: DeSantis Dominates Debate with Newsom

"DeSantis is knocking it out of the park." "Gavin Newsom got massacred tonight." "DeSantis just ended Newsom's political ambitions with this."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - As soon as Ron DeSantis stepped off the debate stage with Gavin Newsom tonight, a flood of support for DeSantis came in and the consensus is: "The clear winner is Ron DeSantis."

Here's what they are saying about Sean Hannity's debate between DeSantis and Newsom on Fox News:

Jason Chaffetz: Ron DeSantis was masterful in drawing out personal stories. He did it on multiple topics and to draw it directly to Gavin Newsom about his own opulence in doing stuff that ingratiated his family as opposed to all the other families, Ron DeSantis was just spot on.

Rep. Chip Roy: Tonight was a clear distinction between freedom and failure

Jason Chaffetz: DeSantis looked very presidential

Steve Deace : Told my audience today I couldn't foresee how this could be a L for either side because both men are so skilled and just need to represent their side well. I was wrong. Newsom got a couple of good shots in when referencing muh polls, but on every issue people actually care about he got absolutely destroyed by DeSantis. That was one of the biggest curb stomps I've ever seen performed by a Republican on a national stage, and I still think DeSantis missed a few shots that were there, too. Worse for Newsom is he had no counters other than the same polling pot shots, or identity politics references. And props to Hannity for some of that, because his use of official data really boxed Newsom in with confronting reality Democrats rarely get confronted with. This was a massive boost for DeSantis. And a massive kick to the shins for Newsom's future plans whichever cycle he's aiming for. I would imagine Biden operatives are happy Junior got put down so badly, while over at Mara-A-Lago the seething begins. Will Trump NPD post now or wait until 2 a.m.?

Kim Reynolds: .@RonDeSantis tonight showed that he's the best candidate to take on the Democrats & Joe Biden in 2024. He delivers on his promises, will fight for us, and WIN. Proud to support him!

Mark Levin: DeSantis has locked Newsom into politically disastrous positions including his over-the-top praise for Bidenomics and the most radical abortion position of all. Newsom has defended high gasoline prices, denies the fact of extraordinarily high taxes in his state and out-of-control crime. And the facts underlying the questions in the debate in and of themselves expose Newsom's disastrous record.

Clay Travis: Final thought: Gavin Newsom got massacred tonight. But he is a billion times more articulate & intelligent than Joe Biden is. Can you imagine Biden debating at all? I just can't believe there is any way Democrats are running him. And if they run him, no way they let him debate.

Mark Levin: DeSantis knocked out Newsom. It wasn't even close.

Victor Joecks, Las Vegas Journal Review: If @RonDeSantis ends up winning the GOP nomination, expect tonight to be considered a major turning point.

Kayleigh McEnany: The clear winner is Ron DeSantis

Harold Ford Jr: I was more impressed with Ron DeSantis than I thought I would be ... I thought that Governor DeSantis laid out very effectively his record in Florida.

Ari Fleischer: Desantis' language is one of economics ... very practical, and focused on people's daily lives

Miranda Devine: DeSantis is knocking it out of the park. He points out that people have had to map the "human feces on the streets of San Francisco... They're willing to clean it up for a Chinese dictator" but not for their own people.

David Brody: Ron Desantis ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED Gavin Newsom tonight. If this was a boxing match, they would've stopped it. Also, Sean Hannity basically gave the Desantis campaign an in-kind donation tonight. Oh, and one more thing: I'm sure Trump is thrilled with Hannity right about now. #DeSantis #debate

Andrew Pollack: My daughter died in the Parkland mass shooting. Ron DeSantis was not even Governor when it happened, but I'm sure as hell glad he became Governor shortly after. Governor DeSantis fired the incompetent people responsible, he didn't demonize lawful gun owners. Newsom is trash!

Larry O'Connor: I was skeptical about this debate. Newsom is a maniacal sociopath who lies with a straight face and a giant Joker smile and usually gets away with it. But DeSantis came to play. This may be the high point of his presidential campaign. It was a huge gamble and it paid off.

Mark Levin: DeSantis is kicking Newsom's ass. In fact, Newsom is looking and sounding silly.

Clay Travis:: Holy shit @GovRonDeSantis is murdering @GavinNewsom. That father in law line was incredible. Best debate line of the year anywhere.

Dave Rubin: Newsom just said "it's a factual lie" that the state of California has high taxes a minute after they showed this chart and another one showing no income tax in Florida.

Steve Deace: Dayum, DeSantis comes out absolutely swinging. Yowsa.

Dan McLaughlin:: DeSantis leads with California running out of U-hauls for people fleeing the state, and goes hard after Newsom personally.

Tomi Lahren: "You are a lockdown governor!!"@RonDeSantis landing punches. Ron SHINES against the Left. This is why he needs to be our nominee. His record speaks for itself! He goes to battle against the Left. Trump goes to battle against Ron.

Bob Vander Plaats: Good start by @RonDeSantis "You have to be intentional to mess Californian up..." #ChooseWell2024

Spencer Brown: Joe Biden is already the biggest loser of the DeSantis v. Newsom debate.

Dana Loesch: Newsom can be as pretend jovial as he wants but DeSantis isn't having it.

John Cardillo: Newsom is filibustering with a nervous smile.

Tomi Lahren: Gavin cannot answer why his great and wonderful state is losing people. Answer: democrats

Kayleigh McEnany: DeSantis asks Newsom to apologize to California's children for not reopening schools during the COVID pandemic. A lot of blue state governors owe that apology. The research was clear. I shared it from the podium often, but the media & Left chose to put kids last

Daniel Horowitz: Newsom looks like he is vaccine injured.

Daniel Horowitz: Imagine if every red state gov. would be like DeSantis? We'd have a very different country and DeSantis himself would be even more hard core. I dont see any on the horizon for this next election. Instead we have liberals running states like Alabama, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Ryan James Girdusky: Newsom says that Florida is actually more taxed because its regressive (no income tax) DeSantis points out that California has a higher sales tax (which is immensely regressive) and has the highest economic inequality and $7 gas

Scott Morefield: Look at Gavin Newsom's face when Ron DeSantis brings up the fact that his own father-in-law has moved to Florida because it's better governed.

Tiana Lowe Doescher: Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy debate with the decorum of the Oxford Union relative to Newsom and DeSantis, neither of whom will stop speaking over each other!!

Joel Pollak: Newsom is trying to call DeSantis a "lockdown governor." That might work in a Republican primary, where conservatives pretend there was another option early in the pandemic, but DeSantis took national heat at the time (from Newsom, too) for re-opening Florida before most states.

Rep. Kevin Kiley: Newsom claims more people are moving to California than Florida. Completely false. Between 2019 and 2022, 1,044,494 people left California while 737,433 people moved to Florida. California did literally run out of U-Hauls. In fact, California has led the nation in U-Haul departures three straight years under Newsom. Prior to Newsom, California had never lost population a single year.

Marc Thiessen: Can you imagine Trump and Biden having this debate?

Jordan Schachtel: Gov DeSantis is unsurprisingly wiping the floor with Gavin Newsom. Best governor in the nation, with no close second. Proud to have him leading our state, regardless of how the primary turns out.

Mark Levin: DeSantis is kicking Newsom's ass. In fact, Newsom is looking and sounding silly.

Bob Vander Plaats: For freedom loving conservatives, it's more than concerning when @GavinNewsom quotes @realDonaldTrump to attack @RonDeSantis from the left. Florida beats California in every meaningful category. Freedom beats Control every time. #ChooseWell2024

Eduardo Neret: Newsom continues to use the Trump-originated lie that DeSantis supported amnesty in Congress

Curtis Houck: Great comeback by @RonDeSantis to Newsom defending California's high tax rates: "How many people leave FL to go to CA b/c they pay less taxes? I've not seen that. Are people going from FL to NY b/c they pay less taxes? Of course not. They come to Florida b/c they pay lower taxes. We don't even have an income tax. And yet, California has the higher sales tax".

Clay Travis: Here's @GovRonDeSantis saying a man told him he had moved from California to Florida because the state was so much better governed. The guy was @GavinNewsom's father-in-law. Holy crap. What a line:

Dana Loesch: Newsom thought he'd make a point about Disney and just walked into a rake. WHO PREPPED HIM

Joel Pollak: DeSantis just did something really important: he brought one of the supposedly "banned" books, "Genderqueer," to the debate. I happen to think this book is OK for older teenagers, but DeSantis is right that it's not age-appropriate for young children. That's not "banning" books.

Chris Loesch: Newsom just talks over DeSantis when he can't take the heat. He's so flustered.

Clay Travis: What you're seeing in this debate is how flabby and out of shape Democrats are. They never get challenged or confronted in any way. The media acts as their personal PR agents. Gavin Newsom can't handle tough questioning on facts. Because it never happens to him. He's floundering.

Mark Levin: Florida and books, Newsom lying, again

Mary Margaret Olohan: DeSantis whips out one of the explicitly sexual gender books aimed at children as he defends FL's pro-parent bills: "This is a book that is in some of the schools in California called Gender Queer...this is pornography. It's cartoons. It's aimed at children. And it's wrong."

Andrew Pollak: Gavin Newsom is a despicable conman. Florida classrooms are the safest in the nation because of Governor Ron DeSantis.

The Blaze: DeSantis brings the receipts: "This is a book that's in some of the schools in California called 'Genderqueer.' This is pornography. It's cartoons. It's aimed at children. And it's wrong. This should not be in schools."

Ryan Petty: Gavin Newsome knows nothing about Parkland. His choice to attack Governor DeSantis over Parkland is proof. Shame on him. Governor DeSantis has lead from day one of his administration on school safety.

Mary Katherin Ham: This is a good debate, and I appreciate Hannity and both these guys making it happen. We have two front-runners who would rather not get in the arena, and these two are doing it.

Jordan Schachtel: DeSantis probably buried Newsom tonight. He was the clear front runner to replace Biden. Now the dems are back to square one.

Ryan Saavedra: DeSantis just ended Newsom's political ambitions with this.

Clay Travis: I was 100% wrong on this debate. I thought Gavin Newsom would be likable and intelligent. I was incorrect. This is a massacre. If this were a boxing match, Newsom's corner would have thrown in the towel a long time ago. Complete and total win for DeSantis from open to close.

Tomi Lahren: DeSantis with the props tonight I'm dead!!!!!

Will Chamberlain: If @RonDeSantis can do this to a 56-year-old Gavin Newsom imagine what he'd do to an 81-year-old Joe Biden

Mark Levin: Newsom invoked Nikki Haley so often, and agreed with her so often, I guess he going to vote for her.

Clay Travis: Ron DeSantis just held up a poop map of San Francisco to show where people are tagging feces from homeless people on all the public streets. Holy shit. Literally.

Jason Rantz: Ron DeSantis shreds Gavin Newsom's policies that have led to a mass exodus in California. Newsom has no response.

Kim Reynolds: Democrats won't acknowledge the invasion of our country. They don't care. Iowa and Florida took matters into our own hands - sending troops to the border to Protect and Defend ourselves. @RonDeSantis will secure the border and treat the cartels like the terrorists they are.

Josh Hammer: DeSantis has totally wiped the floor with Newsom.