Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is running for president next year. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to compete for the nation’s top political office in 2028. So why are they planning to debate each other this November in Georgia?
Fox News announced Monday it would host a Nov. 30 debate between DeSantis and Newsom, setting the stage for an unusual showdown of prominent governors who aren’t yet election rivals.
Each has his own reasons for participating in what Fox News calls a 90-minute “red vs. blue state debate” that will air on Sean Hannity’s primetime show.
DeSantis is struggling to gain traction in a crowded Republican race for president, as he trails former President Donald Trump badly in most public polls. His decision demonstrates the steps he’s willing to take to attract national attention and shake up the dynamics of the contest.
Newsom has insisted he’s not running for president in 2024 and he’s unequivocally endorsed President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. Even so, Newsom is seen as one of the Democratic party’s leading contenders in 2028 — and an emergency option next year if Biden withdraws from the race.
He insisted the debate be held in a swing state, originally agreeing to meet DeSantis in Georgia, Nevada or North Carolina.
Expect DeSantis to also use the debate as an opportunity to contrast himself with Trump, who has refused to appear on stage with his GOP rivals. Trump plans to skip Wednesday’s debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
The precise location and format of the DeSantis-Newsom showdown hasn’t been announced. The debate will be the second political event hosted by Hannity in Georgia in the last year. The one-time Roswell resident who rose to broadcasting prominence at WGST in Atlanta held a Herschel Walker town hall in Acworth on his show last year during Walker’s failed U.S. Senate bid.
***
Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times
JUST BROWSING. Former President Donald Trump sparked a minor uproar Monday when he toured a gun store in South Carolina and told the store’s owners, “I’d like to buy one.” Trump’s campaign tweeted out a photo of Trump shopping and the note, “President Trump buys a Glock in South Carolina!”
But Fox News and others quickly reported that federal law prohibits anyone under felony indictment from purchasing a firearm. Trump has been indicted on criminal charges in four jurisdictions, including Fulton County. His spokesman deleted his original post and said Trump did not buy a gun.
Along for the tour was Georgia’s U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who listened as the store owner vented to Trump about a Biden administration regulation on pistol braces. “I have one,” Greene, R-Rome, chimed in. “And my mom has one.”
U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, an Athens Republican who owns two Georgia gun stores, has led the effort in the House to eliminate the pistol brace regulation.
***
THAT HURTS. Today’s slowing inflation and low unemployment would seem to make Americans feel good about the economy. So Democrats continue to be baffled by President Joe Biden’s sagging approval ratings and a new ABC News poll that showed him losing to former President Donald Trump. That same poll showed Biden with a 30% approval rating on the economy.
Today’s Wall Street Journal has a clue about what’s making Americans feel so pinched in the Biden era — interest rates. The rate hikes during his time in office have slowed inflation as hoped but are also increasing borrowing costs for anyone who buys on credit.
The Journal reports the typical credit card carried a 20.7% interest rate in May, up from 14.6% in February 2022. Meanwhile, rates make large purchases such as a home or car out of reach for many.
More from the Journal:
Buying a home or car right now is “completely unaffordable for the typical American household because you're mixing the higher borrowing costs with the high prices."
***
BUCKHEAD SPLIT. Gov. Brian Kemp helped squash a Buckhead secession movement earlier this year. But the second-term Republican is taking other steps to curb crime in the wealthy north Atlanta neighborhood.
At the urging of House Speaker Jon Burns, Kemp is establishing a new Georgia State Patrol post on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion in the heart of Buckhead.
The state patrol will construct the new facility adjacent to the residence and assign a dozen troopers to the post, which will be large enough to accommodate up to 30 law enforcement officials.
At an Atlanta Police Foundation breakfast this morning, Kemp said it “doubled down on our commitment to keeping this city safe” and thanked Burns and state lawmakers for devoting $1.3 million in the state budget to the project.
Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC
Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC
The Buckhead cityhood movement went down in flames earlier this year after Kemp’s lawyer released a scathing memo that raised a host of legal questions about the split. The Georgia Senate hours later voted down the idea, sending the initiative’s leader, Bill White, into self-imposed exile.
Kemp, meanwhile, has maintained close ties with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens — a sharp contrast with the frosty relationship he had with Dickens’ predecessor, Keisha Lance Bottoms. We’re told the governor has kept City Hall in the loop about its new Buckhead outpost.
***
Credit: Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Credit: Kenny Holston/The New York Times
THE COUNTDOWN. The U.S. House and Senate return to legislative action today with just four days to go until government funding runs out.
The Senate has scheduled a procedural vote to begin shaping legislation that could become a stopgap spending bill to keep federal agencies from shuttering on Oct. 1. But senators will need bipartisan support for the package to move quick enough to thwart a shutdown — or at least shorten its duration.
In the House, members are focused on passing long-term spending bills that have no chance in the Senate but could satisfy conservatives and help jump start negotiations on funding the government for a full fiscal year. The approach wouldn’t help avoid a shutdown but would create a path forward out of one.
What isn’t clear is whether either chamber’s strategy will prove successful.
Just one senator can slow things to a crawl in that chamber and House Republicans thus far aren’t negotiating with Democrats. Additionally, GOP fractures over what to include in the appropriations legislation, such as Ukraine aid, continue to thwart efforts to pass bills with Republican votes alone.
***
Credit: Erin Scott/White House
Credit: Erin Scott/White House
MILITARY CHILDREN’S CORNER. First lady Jill Biden will unveil a new art display at the White House today that is dedicated to children whose parents are in the armed forces. The inaugural installation of The Military Children’s Corner features artwork from two students at E.A. White Elementary, located on Fort Moore (formerly known as Fort Benning) near Columbus.
On Monday, the first lady surprised 8-year-old Autumn Cobb and 10-year-old Paris Robinson and their families with a sneak peek at the exhibit.
Biden visited the school last October as part of the “Joining Forces” initiative supporting active-duty personnel and veterans, as well as their families and caregivers. She said Monday that she often stands in awe of the talented military children she meets across the nation.
“During my travels, military children have frequently shared their artwork with me, offering a window into their lives,” Biden said in a statement. “Inspired by their stories of kindness, ingenuity, and strength, I wanted to bring their art and talents to the White House. As visitors enjoy The Military Children’s Corner, I hope they also take a moment to reflect on the service and sacrifice of our military families.”
***
TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden joins United Auto Workers union members on the picket line in Wayne County, Michigan.
- The U.S. House has scheduled a procedural vote that will be the first test of an effort by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to bring four new appropriations bills to the floor.
- The U.S. Senate votes on advancing a continuing resolution to provide stopgap funding to avoid a government shutdown.
- Vice President Kamala Harris brings her “Fight for Our Freedoms” college tour to Morehouse College in Atlanta.
***
Credit: Adam Van Brimmer/AJC
Credit: Adam Van Brimmer/AJC
THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST. College application season is upon us. So U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is reminding Georgia high school seniors that the Sept. 30 deadline is approaching for students applying to his office for a nomination to a U.S. service academy.
Each member of the House and Senate nominates qualified applicants for admission to four of the nation’s five military academies.
***
SECOND CHANCE. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson is championing a program meant to assist the incarcerated as they leave prison and re-enter society. The “Free the Future” initiative launched earlier this year and provides job training, mental health resources and opportunities to work, according to a report from WTVM in Columbus.
The story cited recidivism statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice that reveal approximately 75% of people released from prison each year are rearrested within five years.
***
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. Despite this feature’s title, we here at The Jolt are cat lovers, too.
So meet Miss Xena Plunkett, the feline who calls David and Vickie Plunkett her people. The Plunketts are both former congressional committee staffers who now live the good life in Young Harris.
And since congressional staffers never lose the political bug, Miss Xena’s photo was captioned “a mugshot of her own.”
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
***
AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
