Where to watch the Gavin Newsom-Ron DeSantis debate
There’s nothing official about it, but there should be plenty of smoke — and maybe a little fire — when two governors, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, meet for what is being called a debate on the Fox News channel.
The chief executives in question — Democrat Gavin Newsom of California and Republican Ron DeSantis of Florida — have been doing more than their fair share of sparring over recent months.
Florida sent planeloads of undocumented immigrants to California in June. And before that, DeSantis made news with everything from regulating how racism, sexual orientation and gender identity are taught in schools to wresting local political control away from Disney’s Florida operation after the entertainment giant disavowed his “don’t say gay” policies.
RELATED: California versus Florida: A look at the states before Newsom debates DeSantis
And then there’s the small matter of the 2024 presidential race. DeSantis is running for the Republican nomination but hasn’t made much of a dent in former president Donald Trump’s sizable lead.
And while Newsom is one of President Joe Biden’s most vocal supporters, some critics — and many Republicans — have been saying the California governor is running a “shadow campaign” for the 2024 Democratic nomination, hoping Biden will drop out before the election. Newsom has denied the rumors, but they continue to percolate — especially on Fox News, the broadcaster carrying the governor-vs.-governor debate Thursday evening.
Newsom is maintaining a rigorous travel schedule — with recent visits to China and Israel — and hasn’t met a microphone he doesn’t like. He sat for a one-on-one interview with debate moderator and Fox News host Sean Hannity in June.
And DeSantis really is running for president. After winning re-election as Florida governor by a landslide, he’s been on the stage for every Republican debate, even though front-runner (and often indicted) Trump has been a perennial no-show.
Hannity, who will moderate the contest, has emphasized that he’s friendly with both governors — and said he is personally working with each candidate to establish the ground rules for their meeting on the conservative-leaning cable news channel.
There will be no live audience. Hannity said Newsom didn’t want a crowd because the California governor thought it would be biased against him due to Fox News’ popularity with conservatives.
To see the fireworks, tune in to Fox News Channel and the Fox News apps at 6 p.m. Pacific time Thursday, Nov. 30. The debate will also be broadcast on Fox News Radio, which should be available via the “listen” link on the radio network’s web site.
The 90-minute debate will take place in Alpharetta, Georgia. The state itself is very much in play politically.
“I’m looking forward to providing viewers with an informative debate about the everyday issues and governing philosophies that impact the lives of every American,” Hannity said on Fox News.