California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis have been sparring recently over issues such as COVID-19 vaccine mandates, abortion rights, and education.
The California governor took out commercials in Florida over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in which he says, "Freedom is under attack in your state" in reference to Florida's book bans, voting restrictions, and limitations on abortion.
"Republican leaders — they're banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors. I urge all of you to join the fight, or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom."
Newsom said the Florida ads were motivated by DeSantis' push to stop the Special Olympics' COVID-19 vaccine mandate for their competition in Florida last month. Florida had threatened to fine the Special Olympics $27.5 million if it didn't drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandate before the 2022 USA Games in Orlando. Special Olympics officials gave in.
"He did something that tipped me very directly, and that was going after the Special Olympics. I had an emotional response to that," Newsom told The Sacramento Bee. "That led to the consideration of doing something a little bit more expressive and that was the determination on the ad."
Newsom has close ties to the Special Olympics. He headed the leadership committee for its World Games in Los Angeles in 2015, and his mother worked with an organization that helped families adopt children with disabilities. "Ron DeSantis' values on full display: Bullying. The. Special. Olympics." Newsom wrote on Twitter in response.
Florida first lady Casey DeSantis clapped back on twitter, saying, "For those who need a reminder ... this is why we fight. Isabella competed in the Special Olympics because @RonDeSantisFL stood up and fought for her and all the other Special Olympians who would have been sidelined.
"We will never stop fighting for people like Isabella."
Newsom's television ads aired in the context of DeSantis signing the "Parental Rights in Education" bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by opponents that prohibits Florida's public school teachers from instructing students in kindergarten through third grade on sexual orientation or gender identity. Florida's Department of Education has also rejected 41% of math textbooks they believed were promoting critical race theory (CRT).
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, DeSantis signed a law banning abortions after 15 weeks without exception for rape or incest. A state judge temporarily blocked the law, calling it unconstitutional.
Newsom commented to The Sacramento Bee, "What the hell's going on in this country?"
He denied that he would run for president in 2024, but he wouldn't rule out running ads in other states.
Meanwhile, DeSantis, who is said to be considering a presidential run in 2024, fired back against Newsom's ad, saying, "California is driving people away with their terrible governance."
He claimed major cities in California have been "destroyed with drugs and crime and homelessness."
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