Newsom pledges $100K to DeSantis rival Crist

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged $100,000 to help Rep. Charlie Crist defeat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in November.
• Newsom said that he was compelled to help Crist defeat a “bully” like DeSantis.
• The two governors, who represented the stark differences between blue-state and red-state policies, have been at odds for a while.

The rivalry between Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) continues, with the California governor pledging campaign funds to help defeat the Florida governor in the November elections.

On Thursday, Newsom announced on Twitter that he will be pledging $100,000 to Rep. Charlie Crist’s campaign, to make sure DeSantis is a “one-term governor.” He also called on supporters for donations to Crist, who won the Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.

When asked about the donation, Newsom said during a Los Angeles event that he was compelled to help Crist defeat DeSantis because “I don’t like bullies.”

Newsom was referring to DeSantis’ remarks about infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. DeSantis had said during a Wednesday rally, “Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac.” Newsom remarked, “To call someone pejorative terms because they’re short — who the hell raised these guys? What kind of people are they?”

“I know all of us had to sit there and suck it up and take (Donald) Trump’s demonization but not everybody has to act like him,” he continued. “I remember growing up and folks would have their mouths washed out with soap if they talked like this. I got four kids; I don’t want these guys being models.”

DeSantis’ campaign responded to Newsom’s donation by tweeting a compilation of clips of homelessness, crime, and drag show performances in California.

The two governors, who are both considered potential presidential candidates, have been at odds for a while. They represented the stark differences between blue-state and red-state policies.

Newsom argued that adopting DeSantis’ laid-back approach toward the pandemic would have resulted in 40,000 more coronavirus deaths in California. On the other hand, DeSantis described Newsom as a controlling, “coercive biomedical apparatus” that forced repeated closures.

During the Fourth of July weekend, Newsom ran an ad in Florida that encouraged its residents to move to the Golden State, “where we still believe in freedom: Freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate, and the freedom to love.” DeSantis retorted that California had been losing its residents while more people were moving to Florida.

Source: CBS News