Newsom-DeSantis Debate Thursday: 5 Things To Know

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom will face off with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for an unusual debate set to be broadcast live to a national audience Thursday evening.

According to The New York Times, Newsom has remained a staunch ally of President Biden for a 2024 reelection bid but has made some moves that could indicate a run for higher office on the horizon. DeSantis is attempting to pick up momentum in a crowded Republican field led by former President Donald Trump ahead of the Iowa caucuses in January.

Here are five things to know about Thursday's debate:

When and where to watch

The debate will begin at 6 p.m. PST on the Fox News Channel and be simulcast on Fox News Radio. Cable subscribers can also log in to stream the debate on the Fox News website.

Who will be involved?

Newsom and DeSantis will debate face-off in the "The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate," moderated by Fox News pundit Sean Hannity. The debate is scheduled to run 90 minutes during a two-hour special edition of Hannity's primetime show.

What are some of the topics?

According to The Hill, Hannity plans to tackle hot-button issues in both states, including the economy, immigration, border enforcement, crime and inflation. Analysts expect both governors to take a hard line against each other's leadership and could descend into outright "mudslinging," as CalMatters' Dan Walters summarizes:

"DeSantis will portray California as a dystopian cesspool of crime, drugs and squalid homeless encampments, pointing out that hundreds of thousands of Californians have fled the state in recent years. Don’t be surprised if he cites a new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California that 61% of Californians believe that the state no longer nurtures the American dream.
Newsom, meanwhile, will portray DeSantis as a dictatorial figure who bans books, censors speech, allowed COVID-19 to run rampant, suppresses LGBTQ Floridians and wants to eliminate women’s rights to seek abortions. Newsom has been hammering on those themes for months, even running ads in Florida."

What prompted the debate?

As The New York Times reports, the origins stretch back more than a year, when Newsom first challenged DeSantis to a debate, before the latter had formally announced his 2024 Presidential bid. The Times notes DeSantis has struggled to gain a foothold in the polls, while Newsom is looking to boost his national profile.

DeSantis coasted to reelection in Florida last year, and Newsom handily beat a recall attempt in 2021.

Where is the debate happening?

The debate will be broadcast live from a studio north of Atlanta, in Alpharetta, Georgia. There will be no live audience, with reactions by a panel of guests scheduled directly after the debate. The location was reportedly chosen due to Georgia's status as a key swing state.

The Associated Press and CalMatters contributed to this report.