'Blizzard of lies': 5 highlights from DeSantis vs. Newsom 'Great State Debate'

By CP Staff, Friday, December 01, 2023

'Lockdown governor': Clash over COVID-19 policies

The governors also attacked each other over their state's COVID-19 lockdown policies.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference after meeting with students at James Denman Middle School on October 01, 2021, in San Francisco, California. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

“I had Disney open during COVID, and we made them a fortune, and we saved a lot of jobs,” DeSantis said. “You [Newsom] had Disney closed inexplicably for over a year. You are not following science. You were a lock-down governor.”

DeSantis accused Newsom of doing "a lot of damage to your people."

"You had more kids locked out of school for a longer period of time in California than anywhere else in the country," he said.

Newsom shot back by accusing DeSantis of hypocrisy.

“Let’s talk about your record on COVID,” Newsom said. “You pass[ed] an emergency declaration before the state of California did. You closed down your beaches, your bars, your restaurants. It’s a fact. You had quarantines — you had quarantines, you had checkpoints all over the state of Florida.”