Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom in a speech at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Simi Valley, Calif. He pointed out that residents of California are fleeing California under Newsom to take advantage of Florida’s freedoms.
DeSantis made a joke at the start of his speech, “I knew you guys had a lot of issues out here, but your Governor is very concerned about Florida’s future, so I decided I had to come by.”
He then mentioned Reagan’s belief that the government has a vital function, but can also be a “negative force” if it is not used properly. This understanding, he stated, was what guided him through the COVID-19 Pandemic.
DeSantis stated, “And I think that if you look back over the past four or five years and you look at individual states’ performances, and compare Florida with California, New York and Illinois, you will see that we have had an excellent experiment, a great testing ground in governing philosophy.” “Because, as you all know, we approach issues in Florida differently than you guys out here in New York or in Illinois.”
Newsom ran a campaign ad in Florida last July warning Floridians about “freedom being under attack” and encouraging them to move to California, “where they still believe in freedom.”
“And if we look back over the past four years, you’ll see a great American exodus form states governed under leftist ideologies and delivering poor results. And you’ve also seen huge gains in states such as Florida, which are governing by the tried-and-true principles that President Reagan believed was right,” DeSantis said. People have been on a journey to California from the very beginning of the state’s history up until the last four years or five. California was not the only state that you could escape from. Yet, now you can see California’s population eroding.
Both Newsom and DeSantis are considered presidential candidates, but Newsom indicated that he would not oppose Biden in the event of his reelection bid.
