Ron DeSantis’ feud with Gavin Newsom ramps up amid San Francisco ‘dumpster fireplace’ insult
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fired the latest volley this week in his feud with his California counterpart, Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling San Francisco a “dumpster fire” and saying he doesn’t want Golden State businesses moving to Florida.
A video posted to Twitter by the news site The Recount shows DeSantis warning that California businesses that have moved from San Francisco to Austin also brought liberal employees with them.
“Those employees would vote the exact same way they voted that turned San Francisco into the dumpster fire that it is,” he said. “It’s a problem because I do think there’s a class of voters who would come to Florida and they would continue to vote the same way.”
It’s the most recent flash point between the two leaders, who are both stars in their respective political parties and have risen to national prominence as a result of their wildly different approaches to COVID-19 precautions, education and overall governing philosophies.
DeSantis made the comments several days after Newsom criticized him on Twitter for punishing Disney over its opposition to Florida’s new law banning discussion of sexual orientation in early grades. After the entertainment company criticized the law, DeSantis and Florida lawmakers moved to strip Walt Disney World park of the special governing status that gives it autonomy to regulate its own construction projects. Dissolving the special tax district that gives Disney its authority would also result in a big tax cut for the company, which will likely be shouldered by local taxpayers.
“Desantis’ Disney/Don’t Say Gay retail bill could increase a million Floridians’ property tax bill by 25%,” Newsom wrote. “But go ahead and keep telling us about ‘fiscal responsibility’ & your ‘business-friendly climate.’”
A few days earlier, Newsom had described the move to punish Disney as “authoritarian.”
“We protect free speech in California,” he wrote. “Punishing businesses for speaking out against hatred is the move of an authoritarian regime.”
It’s the latest example of Newsom picking a fight with a prominent GOP politician. While Donald Trump was in office, Newsom and the Republican president often criticized each other, even as they had to work together as fires raged through California. Political strategists said the fights helped both men boost support among their base voters.
San Francisco, meanwhile, has long been a favorite punching bag for conservatives who want to criticize liberal policies — and raise campaign cash. The city’s visible homelessness and crime issues have become frequent talking points for politicians on the right.
Some of them are much closer to home for Newsom than DeSantis. Michael Shellenberger, who’s challenging Newsom in the race for governor, has recently been embraced by the right as a result of his book “San Fransicko” slamming San Francisco’s progressive policies. Shellenberger is running with no party preference but is framing his candidacy around opposition to the city’s liberal policies.
Sophia Bollag is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.bollag@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaBollag
