Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are scheduled to participate in a somewhat unusual debate this week, which will be hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
The two governors agreed to debate in September, with DeSantis saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he was looking “forward to the opportunity to debate Gavin Newsom over our very different visions for the future of our country.”
A spokesperson for Newsom told NBC News in September that “We’ve agreed to the debate—provided there is no cheering section, no hype videos or any of the other crutches DeSantis requested.”
What time is the debate?
The debate between the two governors is scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 30, at 9 p.m. ET. The debate will be held in Alpharetta, Georgia, and no audience members will be in attendance.
What channel is the debate?
The debate will be aired on Fox News Channel on cable and will be shown as a 2-hour special edition of the Hannity prime-time show.
How to live stream:
Fox News Channel will also stream the debate between Newsom and DeSantis on their website, FoxNews.com, but users will be required to enter information associated with their cable account in order to stream.
Ethan Miller; WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images
How to watch without cable:
In addition to airing the debate on cable and its website, Fox News will also play it on their radio channel, Fox News Radio. The radio station can also be found on the Fox News mobile application.
Why are DeSantis and Newsom debating?
While the debate may seem unusual to some as Newsom is not running for president in 2024 and DeSantis is, the California governor previously challenged his Florida counterpart to the debate in September 2022.
“Hey @GovRonDeSantis, clearly you’re struggling, distracted, and busy playing politics with people’s lives. Since you have only one overriding need—attention—let’s take this up and debate. I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray. Name the time before election day. @CNN,” Newsom wrote in a post on X.
Since DeSantis announced his plans to run for president in 2024, he and Newsom have continued to take aim at each other on a number of different issues, such as crime in their states and immigration.
DeSantis also previously sent flights filled with migrants to California prompting Newsom to call for kidnapping charges for the Florida governor.
What issues are they debating?
According to a press release from Fox News, the two governors will focus on major issues currently facing the country during the debate and “will examine the vastly different approaches the two governors have and offer insights into their political philosophies as well as ambitions for the nation.”
Some of the topics that will likely be discussed include crime, immigration, the U.S.-Mexico border, and the economy, according to the press release.
Newsweek has reached out to DeSantis’s campaign and Newsom’s press office via email for comment.
Hannity spoke with Politico this week about the debate and how he will attempt to moderate, saying, “The questions will probably be very predictable on a lot of issues, maybe unpredictable on some others. This debate is between them. I’m not debating.”
“Are there political calculations to everything, probably, sure[…]But I think they have a sincere belief system that fundamentally predicates all the policies that flow forward when they lay out their agendas,” Hannity said. “You can’t have two more dramatically different views of governance.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.