DeSantis and Newsom to go head-to-head in November Fox News debate in Georgia

September 25th, 2023

This combination of photos shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaking in Sacramento, Calif., on June 24, 2022, left, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking in Sioux Center, Iowa, May 13, 2023, right. (AP Photo, File)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will take time out from debating fellow Republicans in two months to take on a Democrat, California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Fox News said Monday that the two politicians will appear in a 90-minute debate on Nov. 30 in Georgia, at an exact location to be determined.

Besides being closer to DeSantis’ home turf, conservative opinion host Sean Hannity will be the moderator, and it is airing on Fox News Channel in Hannity’s 9 p.m. Eastern time slot.

The idea has been talked about since June, when Newsom appeared for an interview on Hannity’s show.

DeSantis is scheduled to appear in the second debate of Republican candidates for the 2024 presidential nomination later this week, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

Nathan Click, a spokesman for Newsom, said the California governor agreed to the debate provided there was no cheering section of “hype videos.”

“We want a real debate,” Click said. “Not a circus.”