Gavin Newsom says Ron DeSantis is ‘fundamentally authoritarian’

Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, said Sunday that Ron DeSantis was “fundamentally authoritarian” but that Donald Trump’s desire for “revenge” posed an even greater threat to democracy.

Gavin Newsom says Ron DeSantis is ‘fundamentally authoritarian’

During an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, which was Chuck Todd’s final episode as host, Newsom attacked the two leading contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

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Newsom said: “I worry about democracy. I worry about the fetishism of autocracy that we see not only in Trump, but around the world, including across the country.”

He continued: “I’ve made the point about DeSantis that I think he’s functionally authoritarian. In many ways, I’m more worried about Trumpism, which goes well beyond his mandate and his term in office.”

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Newsom continued: “The vengeance in Donald Trump’s heart right now is more of a threat. »

The governor, who is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party and a potential presidential candidate, was referring to the former president’s frequently expressed threats to seek “revenge” against political enemies he holds responsible for numerous criminal charges against him if he wins back the White House.

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Newsom indicated he would cooperate with the Trump administration for the benefit of California residents if Trump wins the 2024 general election.

Newsom told Todd, who is stepping down as host of Meet the Press after nearly a decade: “At the end of the day, these are the cards that are dealt. I want to do the best I can for the people I represent, the 40 million Americans who live in California.

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“Many support him. I’m not going to oppose someone just to oppose them – I don’t enter a relationship with closed fists but with an open hand. I call balls and strikes, and few people have been more aggressive in calling balls and strikes against Donald Trump. I called California the least anti-Trump state in America, and I stand by it.

However, Newsom reserved his harshest criticism for DeSantis, Florida’s right-wing Republican governor, with whom he has regularly clashed. He criticized DeSantis’ “partisanship,” which was evident recently when he declined Joe Biden’s visit to the state following Hurricane Idalia. He disagreed with the Florida governor’s plans to ease lockdown measures and ban mandatory masks.

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Of Gov. DeSantis’ snobbery of the president, Newsom said, “I don’t like partisanship. And I thought that was evidently demonstrated by what I thought was a very weak exercise on the part of Governor DeSantis,”

A debate on Fox TV between Newsom and DeSantis is planned for this fall. According to Newsom, a logistical impasse could soon resolve itself.

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The debate was a “two-on-one” discussion because California’s governor said he agreed with right-wing Fox star Sean Hannity to moderate it. However, Newsom claimed he was unhappy with the suggested location and large public audience.

He added: “They wanted thousands of people and [to] make it a performance. That didn’t interest me. We have been quite clear on this. [But] we are getting closer”,

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The interview also discussed possible candidates for the Democratic Party if Joe Biden, who would be 81 on Election Day, decides not to run for president in 2024.

Newsom said he doesn’t expect that to happen, but he won’t be a candidate if it does.

Additionally, Newsom was asked about the future of 90-year-old veteran California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose recent health problems have forced her to take extended breaks from the chamber and sparked calls for her resignation.

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As he did during the elevation of Alex Padilla, California’s secretary of state, to the Senate when Harris became Biden’s running mate in 2020, he declined to comment on whether he would choose a replacement.