Newsom’s team accuses Hannity of violating debate rules, while DeSantis allegedly cheated during a restroom break
Newsom Camp Claims Hannity Broke Debate Rules, DeSantis Cheated During Bathroom Break
Let the excuses begin.
The highly anticipated debate between California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis took place Thursday night in Alpharetta, Georgia, hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
And while the cage match between the blue-state and red-state governors might be over, Newsom’s camp is still firing shots.
According to Politico, Newsom’s team complained that DeSantis and Hannity “cheated” during the debate.
The Democrat’s team accused the Fox News host of rigging the event in favor of the Republican and said DeSantis broke certain rules to which the two governors had agreed.
“The debate was rigged, and Newsom still won,” said Sean Clegg, an adviser to the California governor.
Newsom’s team claimed DeSantis violated an agreed-upon rule that candidates would not receive advice during the debate. The Republican was seen speaking with his wife, Casey, who serves as a political adviser to her husband, during the intermission.
“She was ready to coach him when his fake bathroom break happened,” an aide to the Democrat said, according to Politico. “Our guy never left the podium once. He didn’t take a bathroom break.”
Newsom’s staff further claimed Fox News and Hannity violated a rule that multimedia would not be used during the debate. The Democrat’s team said Fox News producers confirmed the prohibition at a pre-debate walkthrough.
However, Hannity proceeded to show several graphics on screen, some of which cast an unfavorable (though accurate) light on Newsom’s governance.
That’s not all the Democrat’s staff complained about. It also accused DeSantis of violating a supposed rule that candidates could bring only a pen and pad of paper onto the stage.
The Republican turned heads when he displayed a map of San Francisco that showed places where human feces had been found. DeSantis also held up images from the book “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” which he described as “pornography.”
This is a book that’s in some of the schools in California.
This is pornography. It’s cartoons. It’s aimed at children — and it’s wrong.
This should not be in schools. pic.twitter.com/XjM1QMrCJQ
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 1, 2023
However, the DeSantis team said it wasn’t aware of any rule about what they could bring onto the stage, and a Fox News representative said “the word ‘props’ was never discussed ahead of the debate, not one time,” according to Politico.
“The final agreement simply stated that neither side (Newsom or DeSantis) can use multimedia production,” the representative said. “That was an issue about whether each side wanted to do a short production on what makes their individual states great at the start of the debate.”
The accusations made by Newsom and his staff reveal one thing: The California governor knows he lost the debate.
If the Democrat was confident in his performance, he wouldn’t be nitpicking fine details and trying to steer the conversation away from the important issues raised by DeSantis.
It also doesn’t help Newsom’s case that his wife stepped in to end the debate, according to a DeSantis aide. Politico reported that was confirmed by a second person. (A Newsom aide said both men wanted to stop.)
While we can’t confirm the veracity of all of the Democrat’s claims, we can confirm that he wasn’t able to defend his administration’s policies that have resulted in the mass exodus from California.
DeSantis hit Newsom hard on several key topics, including his undermining of parents’ rights, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his enabling of left-wing prosecutors like Los Angeles County’s George Gascon, whose refusal to prosecute crimes has caught national attention.
Newsom couldn’t muster any reasonable justification for any of these policies. How could one justify allowing kids to have access to pornography in school or permitting people to defecate in the streets?
What Thursday night showed was that left-wing politicians struggle to rationally defend the policies they enforce and that their default tactic is to shift the conversation away from their failings.
That’s why Newsom and his team resorted to crying foul about DeSantis’ supposed violations of debate rules instead of responding to anything the Florida governor said.
If there is anything to take from this sparring session, it’s the importance of confronting the radical left-wing ideology head on.
DeSantis showed how effective this can be Thursday night. Newsom’s state has suffered tremendously with him as governor, and that becomes clearer every time his policies are brought into the spotlight.
Talking about the issues in a candid manner — and trying to come to real solutions — is the only way America can move forward.
The post Newsom Camp Claims Hannity Broke Debate Rules, DeSantis Cheated During Bathroom Break appeared first on The Western Journal.
What specific actions has Governor Newsom taken to address the homelessness crisis in California?
Proven handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, his failure to address the homelessness crisis in California, and his support for radical policies such as defunding the police.
Instead of addressing these valid concerns, Newsom and his team have resorted to petty complaints about the debate rules and alleged cheating. These claims only serve to distract from the real issues at hand and further undermine Newsom’s credibility.
Furthermore, the fact that Newsom’s wife had to step in to end the debate raises questions about his ability to handle tough situations and defend his own positions. If he cannot even finish a debate without his spouse intervening, how can he be expected to effectively govern a state?
The accusations made by Newsom’s camp also highlight a concerning trend in politics – the constant need to play the victim and shift blame onto others. Rather than taking responsibility for his own shortcomings, Newsom is attempting to paint himself as the victim of a rigged debate.
This kind of behavior is not befitting of a leader. Instead of whining about perceived injustices, Newsom should focus on addressing the valid concerns raised by DeSantis and formulating substantive solutions to the problems facing California.
In the end, the outcome of the debate speaks for itself. While Newsom’s camp may try to spin the narrative in their favor, the reality is that DeSantis effectively highlighted the failures of Newsom’s administration and presented a compelling case for his own leadership.
The people deserve leaders who are willing to engage in substantive debates and address the real issues affecting their constituents. It is disappointing to see Newsom and his team resort to these petty tactics instead of rising to the challenge and defending their record.
As the election approaches, it is important for voters to see through these distractions and focus on the policies and leadership qualities that truly matter. The people of California deserve a governor who will prioritize their needs and work diligently to improve their state, rather than one who will deflect and make excuses.
Ultimately, it is up to the voters to decide who they believe is the best candidate to lead California. It is my hope that they will see past the theatrics and consider the substance of the candidates’ positions and records.
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