California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has run an ad in Florida in which he claimed that freedom is under assault in the Sunshine State and that California is a bastion of freedom.
In the ad, paid for by Newsom’s campaign, the Golden State governor said that GOP leaders are “banning books,” causing it to be more difficult to vote, “restricting speech in classrooms,” and “criminalizing women and doctors.” He called for Floridians “to join the fight, or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom to choose. Freedom from hate,” as well as “the freedom to love. Don’t let them take your freedom,” Newsom declared.
In response to Newsom’s message, Sara Gonzales, host of BlazeTV’s “The News & Why It Matters,” tweeted, “The only freedom you allow in California are the freedom to do drugs, commit crimes, kill babies, and s[***] in the streets. No thanks, Mussolini.”
“This is not just a pro-abortion Democratic talking point, but a fear-mongering lie. NO state law is ‘criminalizing women,’ certainly not Florida,” tweeted Rebecca Downs of Townhall.com.
Christina Pushaw, who serves as press secretary to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), tweeted, “#1 U-Haul Salesman of 2021 increasingly desperate to communicate with Californians who fled his left-lib dystopia for Florida. Sorry, you aren’t getting those U-Hauls back.”
Newsom’s appeal to Floridians comes as he seeks re-election during the 2022 gubernatorial contest in his own state.
Last year, the governor, who entered office in 2019, survived a recall election.
Newsom has claimed that he has “sub-zero interest” in mounting a 2024 White House bid, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s not even on my radar,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has become an enormously popular figure on the political right, is also seeking re-election this year.