Gov. Gavin Newsom wanted viewers of his Thursday night Fox News debate with Florida’s governor. Ron DeSantis needs to know two things: he’s not running for president, at least not in 2024, and he’s all in for President Biden.

Newsom wasted no time explaining why he agreed to a debate about DeSantis on Sean Hannity’s show.

“I’ll tell you why I’m here: I’m here to tell the truth about the Biden-Harris record and also to compare and contrast Ron DeSantis’ record with the record of the Republican Party”

with that of California,

Newsom said in his opening statement.

“There’s one thing … we have in common,” he added, referring to DeSantis. “Neither of us will be our party’s nominee in 2024.”

Although Newsom initially proposed the gubernatorial matchup more than a year ago, he has since taken on a larger role as a surrogate for the Biden campaign, turning Thursday’s unusual bicoastal debate into an opportunity to test Biden’s talking points against a Republican.

Newsom visited Israel and China last month in a show of international diplomacy rare for a governor. In September, Newsom attended the Republican presidential debate in Simi Valley, where he took questions from reporters before and after the event.

With each public outpouring of support, Biden’s campaign appears increasingly satisfied with Newsom’s performance.

He has been tremendously helpful in raising money, getting on the air and making sure people know what this president has done and what is at stake in this election,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chvez Rodriguez said ahead of the debate in September.

While visiting San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit

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Month, Biden said of Newsom: “He can be anything he wants. He can get the job I’m looking for.”

DeSantis seemed happy to have a Biden surrogate, rather than a fellow Republican, to debate. Florida’s governor has made efforts to position himself as the Republican Party’s alternative to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. But the former president has no problem maintaining his double-digit lead in the polls, and the former governor of South Carolina is having no trouble maintaining his lead in the polls. Nikki Haley won against DeSantis in recent weeks.

“He is joined at the hip to Biden and [Vice President Kamala] Harris,” DeSantis said of Newsom. “What California represents is the Biden-Harris agenda on steroids.”

Newsom responded with his own digs, often jumping to defend Biden and Harris.

“It’s not Kah-MAH-lah Harris, shame on you. It’s KAH-mah-lah Harris, Ron,

Newsom said at one point, correcting the Florida governor’s statement of the vice president’s words.

spelling from this story:

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-10-26/kamala-harris-name

In a lightning-fast portion of the debate, Hannity asked the two governors to give the president an overall rating. Their answers were predictable: Newsom gave a resounding “A,” while DeSantis reported a “failure.”

Hannity’s next question was about the candidates’ reactions to Biden’s age.

‘Yes, it is in disrepair. Yes, it is a danger to the country. He has nothing to do with the presidency,” DeSantis responded. “And you know what, Gavin Newsom agrees. He won’t say that’s why he’s running a shadow campaign.’

“I will take Joe Biden at 100 against Ron DeSantis any day of the week, at any age,” Newsom countered.

When Hannity pressed Newsom on whether he would run for president if Biden withdrew, Newsom waved away the question with some frustration. “It’s not even an option. He’s doing great.”

Minutes before the debate concluded, an email from Biden’s campaign included a message from Newsom asking supporters to donate $25 to the president’s reelection effort.