Newsom and DeSantis Clash in Heated Debate on Fox News

Governors spar over migration, crime rates, taxes, and pandemic response in a debate marked by contrasting views and claims.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis participated in a 90-minute debate hosted by Fox News' Sean Hannity, discussing issues such as migration, crime, homelessness, taxes, and the pandemic.
DeSantis claimed that California is losing population to Florida, citing that California lost 750,000 residents to other states in 2021-2022, while Florida gained 454,000 residents from other states in the same period.
Newsom countered DeSantis' claims about migration, stating that more Floridians moved to California than Californians to Florida in the last two years, when considering per capita numbers.
DeSantis claimed Florida has a 50-year low in the crime rate, a statement based on incomplete data, while Newsom stated that seven of the top 10 murder rates in the United States are in red states.
Newsom criticized DeSantis' tax policies, stating that Florida has one of the most regressive tax rates in the United States, taxing low-income workers more than California taxes millionaires and billionaires.