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Gillum, DeSantis Bash Each Other In First Debate
October 22, 2018
Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis shredded each other Sunday night during a nationally televised debate, as the gubernatorial candidates appeared in their first face-to-face showdown little more than two weeks before the Nov. 6 general election.
The hour-long CNN debate in Tampa, hosted by Jake Tapper, is evidence of the attention garnered by the race between Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who’s trying to make history as Florida’s first black governor and who’s backed by prominent progressives across the country, and DeSantis, a former congressman whose pedigree boasts of a Harvard law degree and a stint as a Navy attorney.
The two men couldn’t be farther apart on the political spectrum, or on their stances on issues, sniping throughout the debate about the environment, health care, and, of course, President Donald Trump, whose support helped boost DeSantis to a GOP primary victory in August.
Tapper questioned DeSantis about his opposition to a sweeping state law, passed after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. The law raised the age from 18 to 21 to purchase all guns and banned the sale of “bump stocks,” devices that can be placed on semi-automatic firearms to make them fire more rapidly.
“The congressman was against the piece of legislation because he’s wholly owned by the NRA,” Gillum said. “He’s not going to stand up to the National Rifle Association. That’s why they’re running all these ads against me, because they want the man that they bought.”
But DeSantis, who resigned from Congress last month to devote his efforts full-time to running to replace outgoing Gov. Rick Scott, countered by raising the issue of Tallahassee’s crime rate, a point he hammered throughout the match-up.
“His record as mayor is one presiding over a city that’s out of control in terms of crime,” DeSantis said, citing a report that found Tallahassee had a historically high murder rate last year.
“All right, well, Ron is being Don. And that’s Donald Trump, neglecting all sense of reason and facts,” Gillum retorted, insisting that Tallahassee is experiencing a five-year low in crime.
Tapper also brought up a tongue-in-cheek television ad that featured the Republican candidate “schooling” his two young children about Trump. The CNN host asked DeSantis if he thinks the president is “a good role model for the children of Florida.”
DeSantis said he and his wife, Casey “were poking a little fun at ourselves” with the ad, then launched into praise of Trump for relocating the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump followed through on a campaign promise to move the embassy, the former congressman said.
“To me, when you give your word, and you follow through with it as an elected official, that is the model that we’re supposed to do. He was right to move the embassy to Jerusalem,” DeSantis said. “I know Andrew didn’t support that … but to me that was true leadership.”
Gillum gave a more direct answer to the question about Trump being a good role model.
“No, he’s not. Donald Trump is weak. And he performs as all weak people do: They become bullies. And Mr. DeSantis is his acolyte,” Gillum, who was a surprise victor in August’s Democratic primary, defeating four other opponents, including former Congresswoman Gwen Graham.
But DeSantis said his relationship with Trump would help Florida, which relies on federal support for water projects, transportation funding and military installations.
“You need to be able to work with the administration to be able to get the dollars we deserve,” said DeSantis, who repeatedly referred to Gillum as “Andrew” throughout the debate.
“Andrew can’t do that. He wants to impeach Trump. He’s always saying bad things about him. I’m not going to be involved in the Washington food fight anymore. I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt. But I think I will be better positioned to advance Florida’s priorities because I have a productive relationship with the administration,” DeSantis said.
But Gillum, who has harshly criticized Trump and has in fact called for the president to be impeached, disagreed.
“This is not Russia. You should not have to kiss the ring of the president of the United States for the president to see to the good will of the third-largest state in all of America. This is a democracy. We can dissent. We can disagree. And when it comes to working together, we can do that, too,” the Democrat said.
To illustrate his point, Gillum said he and Scott, a Republican trying to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, worked together as they dealt with the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Michael, which caused massive damage this month in the Panhandle and the Big Bend region.
DeSantis also hammered Gillum about an FBI probe into public corruption in Tallahassee. Lobbyist Adam Corey, a longtime friend of Gillum with whom the mayor says he has severed ties, appears to be at the center of the investigation. A trip to Costa Rica in which Gillum’s campaign said he paid cash for his portion of a rental house shared with Corey and others, has made the mayor a subject of scrutiny, but Gillum insists he is not the target of the FBI investigation.
“He’s used the office to benefit himself,” DeSantis said.
But Gillum lashed back, accusing DeSantis of spending $145,000 on taxpayer-funded trips before he resigned from Congress and refusing to provide the receipts for the travel.
“I don’t take free trips from anybody. I’m a hardworking person. I know that may not fit your description of what people like me do,” Gillum said.
Tapper also raised the specter of racism, asking DeSantis about a donor “who called Obama the N-word” and about the phrase “monkey this up,” which DeSantis said when referring to Gillum the day after the Aug. 28 primary.
DeSantis pointed to his past work as a prosecutor and said the race of victims was irrelevant.
“Floridians can know that I’ll be a governor for all Floridians. If we disagree tomorrow, maybe two weeks later we’ll find some common ground,” he said.
But Gillum pushed back, saying DeSantis “let us know exactly where he was going to take this race the day after the election” with the “monkey up” comment.
“The truth is I’m black. I’ve been black all my life. So far as I know I will die black,” he said, adding that “the only color people care about is the blue-green algae” and red tide contaminating Florida waterways.
Health care was another flashpoint early in the debate, as DeSantis challenged Gillum over his support for “Medicare for all,” or a single payer health-care system. After Gillum supported the proposal, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont progressive leader, endorsed the mayor in the crowded Democratic primary.
DeSantis said the Medicare proposal would fold funding for existing programs — such as the military’s TRICARE, Medicaid and Medicare — into a new program.
“It dumps all those people against their will, regardless of if they want to stay in their current plans, it dumps on a single-payer government system,”’ DeSantis said. “Taxes will go through the roof.”
Gillum did not directly address the criticism, saying instead that he supports expanding Medicaid eligibility and that DeSantis repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act while in Congress. The federal health-care law encourages states to expand Medicaid and requires insurers to cover people even if they have pre-existing conditions prior to obtaining coverage.
“We can build Florida’s economy simply by extending access to health care and guess what?” Gillum said. “It’s not only good for those 800,000 people who would get access, but it’s also good for folks like small businesses who right now can’t afford to get access to health care.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida. Image courtesy CNN.
Comments
28 Responses to “Gillum, DeSantis Bash Each Other In First Debate”
Like in the movie “Politicians they will all lie to you while kissing your babies and stealing their lollipops”
All y’all talk about is republican and democrat neither one is a good party they both are charlatan. Vote for country not party.
Secondly, anyone who thinks it’s the responsibility of ppl who work is to pay taxes for insurance for ppl who refuse to work is insane. I work way to hard and way to much. I get taxed plenty already, don’t feel remotely bad about not paying a state tax to provide someone with insurance. Get a job you bums. Or get two jobs, like I have. I do not sit around crying that the government isn’t supplementing my income. I got another job and supplemented my own income. Call me sick of liberals, millinials and sick of Democrats. If you don’t like America, feel free to leave, please leave, please….
I’m registered as a republican but I vote pretty much across the board. I’ve voted for Bill Nelson several times. I can’t vote for a man that says law enforcement is the problem in this state. Democtrots are on the hunt for the heads of LEO’s. Really??? Someone who believes that the men and women protecting them are the enemy and need to be investigated everytime some dirt bags feelings get hurt or they get killed because of their own actions. Handcuffing local law enforcement and restricting them from doing thier job puts us all at risk.
Imo, one seems to be pro socialist, in favor of open borders, anti Law Enforcement, and a sjw. Not real sure he is a pro Constitution type.
The other seems like a pro American, pro Law Enforcement, and the rule of law. And appears to be pro Constitution.
My choice is an easy one.
Ron Desantis for the good of Florida.
Sure a lot of long winded posters on this issue so I’ll keep mine short.
If you’d like livin in Baltimore, Noo Yawk, Chicago, San Fran, LA, Detroit
etc.,etc, etc,. …..then vote for Andrew Gillum.
Here are the facts about the crime rate in Tallahassee – all of which is available online via the FDLE website under the crime and data statistics. The crime rate is per 100,000 citizens and Tallahassee has consistently seen an estimated population of 189.000+ residents.
In 2013 – the year before Gillum became Mayor – Tallahassee PD logged 5,175.7 crimes per 100,000 citizens.
In 2014 – the year Gillum became Mayor – the crime rate CLIMBED to 5,798.7 crimes per 100,000 citizens.
In 2015 crime rate CLIMBED to 6,173.0 crimes per 100,000 citizens.
In 2016 the crime rate CLIMBED to 6726.8 crimes per 100,000 citizens.
In 2017 the crime rate FELL to 5,764.5 crimes per 1000,000 citizens.
While Gillum can claim there is a downward trend, the fact is the crime rate is still higher today than it was prior to him taking office. This, despite a trend across Florida for much lower drops in crime in the same time frame.
My money says that the lower crime rate across the state and in the city of Tallahassee can be attributed to the ever increasing JOBS MARKET under the guidance of POTUS Donald J Trump than with anything that Andrew Gilum did as mayor of Tallahassee.
Again, I state, Gillum is not fit to be the next Governor of Florida.
So……two potential candidates who are vying for a seat that would essentially give them “power” over a whole state and they BOTH resort to grade school tactics? What happened to “May the best man win”? When we stop building our country on corrupt foundational values, maybe we will see something more than corrupt or, at best, questionable results. When our potential candidates stop bickering and start embodying hard work and quality values maybe the people who follow and support them will do the same instead of arguing over nonsensical stuff. Far too often, as American citizens, we allow such small, insignificant things to separate us. WE are the United States of America. We really need to be good sports and act like it.
in the immortal words of the great Democratic strategist James Caravelle “the economy, stupid”. Florida is outpacing the majority of the nation economically. Not the time to elect a socialist.
For crying out loud.
Lu – you go right ahead and donate your money to pay for the wall. When trump was running he said Mexico was going to pay for it.
Mommaof3 – How about you let trump know he cannot attack anyone and bully anyone. Then maybe he can earn our respect.
Bewildered, Kate and My2Cents – agreed!
chillywilly – absolutely!
Llfendason – Really? That is the only thing in this country you care about and expect everyone else to care about? Your precious republicans don’t care after the baby is born, only long enough to take away a woman’s rights. FaithinUS got that correct.
I have a stomach ulcer and was proscribed Misoprostol.
I have had it filled here in town before. Recently I was on vacation and had to pick up a refill and was turned away because it is “an abortion pill”. What right did that pharmacist have to decide my doctor was not allowed to prescribe me medicine?
Truth – Here is a dictionary definition for you.
Liberal – open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values, favorable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms.
synonyms: tolerant, unprejudiced, unbigoted, broad-minded, open-minded, enlightened
antonyms: narrow-minded, bigoted, reactionary, conservative
Chillywilly,
Great Democrat talking points, you must spend lots of time watching MSNBC, and CNN. The article you are responding to is about candidates running for governor of Florida, not the present governor. It sounds like you are in favor of higher taxes, state income taxes, abortion, doing away with ICE, doing away with the 2nd amendment,and socialism, because that is what Andrew Gillum is running on.
@ Jason
Well said, you know the truth.
Gillum is backed by demoRats , liberal, liars, power hungry leftist such as George Soros; Socialist/Communist regime.
As for ” monkey and ” ape ” terms, they are real animals. Anyone who gets OFFENDED because these words are used in a sentence, THAT IS HOW THEY SEE THEMSELVES and a good opportunity to use the “ol Race Card to get their way”.
ALLof us were CREATED by a Loving Father GOD, not the theory of evolution.
RON DeSANTIS for Governor of Florida! The only right choice.
Right believing produces Right living.
Prayers for all for common sense, spirit of Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Discernment and Revelation.
–Bashing our politicians and president is the American way. We can do it without fear.
–No matter what Trump says…Democrats don’t want open borders and there are enough republicans in the house and Senate to pass new immigration law. The president just haven’t done much about it but whine about the Democrats.
–Tallahassee is not riddled with crime. In fact crime is on a downward trend there …don’t believe the baloney from Trump’s disciple.
No matter what, don’t believe the lies, smarten up and vote like your lives depend on it!!!! NOVEMBER 6
I cannot tell who is telling the truth.
My vote goes to Mickey Mouse.
The real distinction between Democrats and Republicans:
Democrats believe you should be able to have the choice to have children or not. They want US children to have the best life possible so our country leads the world with the resultng healthy, well-educated adults for decades afterward.
Republicans fight for the rights of unborn fetuses (to get votes) but cut all the programs that help feed, educate, and keep children healthy once they’re breathing, and the family planning that help parents climb out of the poverty exacerbated by having more children they cannot afford to feed.
Which of these is actually cruel and un-Christianlike?
Mommaof3– What did you have to say while Trump was bashing President Obama on twitter at every opportunity? Did you believe all the lies about Obama being a Muslim infiltrator and say “don’t bash him” then? Just curious.
Thank you, Kate- for paying attention and speaking Truth!
Sam- do you live in Tallahassee? If you did, you’d know that there was a spike in violent crime that has since been reduced under the new Sheriff elected in 2016, and after the City Commission increased funding to hire more policemen for the troubled southern part of town.
chillywilly- Thank you for sharing FACTS about Gov Scott’s shameless hypocrisy. ALL of the things you wrote are true. He’d be a disaster in Congress for the common man in Florida! He didn’t give one hoot about us before or during his term, and will continue that in the Senate.
And seriously?!? NO Governor or Senator or any other member of government “supports killing babies”!! It’s called Pro-CHOICE- you know, free will; Pretty sure God granted us that in the beginning. Once government is granted power over women’s reproductive lives, it’s just a matter of time until your demand for their involvement comes full circle to their demanding that certain women abort babies in the name of ‘fiscal sanity’.
Have you ever considered the long term consequences of ceding that control to politicians?
One issue voters– you are just ignorant beyond comprehension to focus on the one thing you can hang onto to show your “Christianity”. What any woman does or does not do with HER body is none of your business. You cannot and should not try to force your beliefs on anyone via the government- It is not a tool for anyone’s religiosity.
What do you folks think funds government projects–bridges & roads, your or your kinfolks’ Social Security, Medicare, EBT food support, or the VA, or PBS educational programming for the little ones, etc, etc, etc- if it is not TAXES?!? The Tooth Fairy ain’t contributing! The super-rich in America contribute less and less with each tax cut.
Amendment 2 on the ballot? ONLY wealthy owners of vacation properties benefit.
They’re lying about that to get you to support another of your beloved tax cuts that funds our state–CHIP, state highway maintenance, the DMV, FHP, FDLE, etc.
I know for a fact that most all of DeSantis’s ads about Mayor Gillum are full of lies.
Gillum is one of many in Tallahassee that have been roped into the still-ongoing FBI investigation of the CRA there.–because of a friendship with a lobbyist. He is NOT a target!
Same for those ads by outgoing Guv Scott–lies, lies and more lies. If you paid attention to what politicians are actually DOING and stop listening to their endless lies, you’d know this too.
But I have a serious question about the disdain for Democrats amongst “Christians”–WHY do you vote against the words of Jesus?: “Love thy brother as thyself”, “What you do to the least of these you do unto Me”, and didn’t Jesus ask us to care for the needy and feed the hungry? Republican politicians generally don’t do any of those things. Any thing must be assigned a $ value to be worthy of protection.
If you believe Donald J Trump-
Liar Extraordinaire / Money Grubber in Chief, Commander in Chief of the US military (which he dodged being part of many times during the Viet Nam war) who actually said he doesn’t “have the time” to visit our troops overseas- anywhere, who praises brutal dictators, continually uses racism and fear of ‘others’ to stoke division, and sits in front of a TV half the day/night watching the FAKENEWS channel instead of leading our country…
If you believe this is a good role model for our youth-
maybe spend more time today praying for guidance, because your priorities for the government that serves all of us do not match the kind of person He asks us to be!
No doubt that Gillum is a polished speaker. His training at the Soro’s
funded Rockwood Leadership Institute in Oakland California taught him
the ropes of one-line snappy retorts. However, the Institute didnt
prepare him to lead Florida. Gillum is great at making promises.
Another individual from the same party promised us “Hope & Change”.
How did America fair under Obama? Do Floridians really want someone
who is a true proponent of Open Borders, the abolishment of ICE, and
has signed with the anti-Law Enforcement group of “Dream Defenders”
who penned their anti-police manifesto “Freedom Papers” as their Governor?
Look at the lawlessness being perpetrated in Mexico on the Mexican
police trying to stop the hordes of illegals that are migrating from
countries south of Mexico? These are the same folks Gillum thinks
should be able to roam freely across the US border without any
questions or consequences.
Nope, this law-abiding voter recognizes the crap that Gillum is spewing.
Many millennials may like hearing his one liner retorts, but these retorts dont
hold any substance. I know that Ron DeSantis is the only candidate in
the Governor’s race worthy of being Florida’s next Governor.
Rule of thumb for voting:
Does that party support killing babies(abortion)? If yes, vote the for the other party.
In this case, since Gillum(Demorcrat) are FOR killing babies in the womb, vote for DeSantis(Republican).
Will DeSantis be perfect, no, but when you stand before God, you will not have to answer why YOU supported killing the millions of babies because of your vote.
Something to think about.
>>Don’t know why Jason’s comments were deleted
Profanity.
Here is what the last Eight years has got us, Don’t be Fooled.Gov Scott signed legislation taking our beaches away, making private property owners property lines go down to the water line or wet sand. Taking care of his rich buddies.
State of Florida is covered in toxic algae, waterways and lake Okeechobee
is dying, Rick Scott abolished the state EPA and water management, Slashed funding and removed regulations for his corporate buddies.
Rick Scott please just go away. He Took the fifth amendment 75 times in a deposition in the largest Medicare Fraud case in history.
settled several million dollar law suits with our tax dollars for violating Florida Sunshine laws for open government, Google the firing of Gerald Bailey, former FDLE director
Total disgrace what he did to a man with a impeccable law enforcement career..Keeps all his assets hidden in a blind trust in his wife’s name.
Changed your automobile insurance, benefiting insurance companies so you only have 14 days after you have a accident. to file a medical claim, who does that benefit. Scott has already spent sixteen million on TV ads. Spent millions of our tax dollars building a sea wall around a golf course in south Florida.. Yet he vetoed most projects in our area. Scott has destroyed the department of health , department of corrections,Privatized prisons, to his campaign donors GEO group, Prison for Profit. remember when the tornadoes hit century , Scott was in Pensacola and would not even go to century to check on those folks. He privatized Silver Springs in Ocala Now looks like a dilapidated ghost
town. I was there. Tried to cut funding for in home care for disabled children and put them in senior nursing homes , thankfully a judge stepped in and stopped it. Rick Scott and his wife attend a special Olympics for disabled children and
the same day ,he goes back to his office and signs legislation cutting funding to disabled children, What kind of a man would do such a thing. need I say more. Please Vote. Oppose Criminals ., Oppose Dishonesty Oppose No Integrity , This is not Fake news, They are the Facts. You shall know them by there fruits.
there is no way a trump supporter on conservative could vote for gillum. he is over the top liberal. his town tallahassee is full of crime.
Gillum would be a disaster for Florida it would look like Century in short time.
Gillum is the best choice between the two. I love what he said about being able to disagree with others but still work together for the good of the people.
okay Trump has put us 7 trillion more in national debt these last two years. Lets built an unnecessary wall and spend billions more, more tax cuts when he only put in a 3 year tax cut for you but a perm. tax cut for corporations. Now he boast a new tax cut for you. The funny part of this is you all believe the guff, and then you will have to put another President in who is a democrat and a new congress to clean up the mess.REALLY BRIGHT THINKING.
Don’t know why Jason’s comments were deleted – my comment is also negative, so it might get erased. Why are we putting up with all these candidates who do nothing but bash the other one. Can you imagine how refreshing it would be if they all only stated what they are in support of. Any voter should have enough sense to see the difference in their believes himself. Cut off their microphones anyone mentions the other’s name and after a few elections it would get the point across.
Was very unhappy to see a candidate attack our President. For one, he is our President like it or not!!! I am not happy with everything about our President but I don’t bash him. This was a debate for Florida future governor not a presidential debate.
Jason, I TOTTAL Agree with you!
Build that Wall, Lower Taxes…. not increase them. And Jobs Jobs Jobs!