As the debate between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was coming to an end on Thursday night, surpassing the initially agreed 90-minute mark, Fox News moderator Sean Hannity inquired if they would be willing to have another debate. Newsom expressed his willingness to debate all night, prompting Hannity to extend the debate to a full two hours.
However, following a commercial break, Hannity revealed that the two governors were no longer able to continue. According to a backstage source from DeSantis' team and another independent source on-site, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Newsom's wife, had unexpectedly entered the stage during the last commercial break. This occurred after Hannity appeared to have obtained an agreement from both governors to extend the debate. Jennifer Siebel Newsom then concluded the debate on behalf of her husband.
According to the DeSantis source, Jennifer Siebel Newsom had also entered the debate room during breaks to raise concerns about the course of the debate. She specifically mentioned a comment made by DeSantis regarding her parents' relocation from California to Florida during the pandemic.
"I had a conversation with someone who recently moved from California to Florida, and they were telling me that Florida is much better governed, safer, has a better budget, and lower taxes. They are really happy with the quality of life," stated DeSantis during the debate. "Then, he paused and said, 'You know, by the way, I'm Gavin Newsom's father-in-law.'" According to sources from both camps, DeSantis and Newsom had separate green rooms backstage next to each other. The backstage dispute was initially reported by NBC News and Politico. DeSantis' communications director, Andrew Romeo, commented, "Gavin Newsom got beat so badly last night that his wife literally had to throw in the towel for him. It was embarrassing." The Newsom aide raised several concerns with Fox, including the use of printed props by DeSantis on stage, which were supposed to be prohibited according to the ground rules.
Debate Drama: Accusations Fly Between DeSantis and Newsom
During a heated debate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom exchanged accusations and complaints, adding fuel to the already tense political climate.
DeSantis held up two sheets of paper, one from the book "Gender Queer," which he deemed as "inappropriate content" for schools, and the other was a map of San Francisco covered in brown markings. DeSantis claimed it was an app that tracks human feces found on the city's streets.
Newsom's team expressed frustration over DeSantis' alleged communication with his wife and a staffer during commercial breaks, which violated the debate rules set by Fox News. In response, DeSantis' team denied the allegations.
Furthermore, Newsom's team accused DeSantis of having access to teleprompter cues with questions that would be asked by moderator Sean Hannity. Fox News denied these claims, asserting that neither candidate had prior knowledge of the debate questions.
The tension escalated when Hannity, contrary to his previous statement, used full-screen graphics to compare COVID records, homelessness rates, and other metrics between California and Florida. Fox News defended Hannity's actions, stating that he had informed the candidates about his plan to incorporate visuals into the debate.
During the debate, Newsom's team made a last-minute request to Fox News that no video sound bites be used, and Fox News accommodated this request.
When questioned by NBC News and Politico, a spokesperson from Fox News denied the accusation that DeSantis used a teleprompter and stated that props were not discussed. Fox News only imposed the condition that neither side could use "multimedia production," and Hannity had previously stated that he would use graphics during the debate.
