List of All Articles with Tag 'eric'

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC) has flatly rejected a report which claimed that China and Cuba have reached an agreement in principle to host a surveillance post. John Kirby appeared on MSNBC shortly after the publication of The Wall Street Journal’s report on Thursday; the report claimed that the cash-strapped Cuban government had accepted an offer by Beijing to set up a listening post on Cuban soil, within range of some US military installations. The article went on to claim that such a listening post could theoretically scoop up communications across much of the southeastern United States. “Officials familiar with the matter said that China has agreed to pay cash-strapped Cuba several billion dollars to allow it to build the eavesdropping station and that the two countries had reached an agreement in principle,” read the report. It continued: “An eavesdropping facility in Cuba, roughly 100 miles from Florida, would allow Chinese intelligence services to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., where many military bases are located, and monitor U.S. ship traffic.” But Mr Kirby said that the Journal’s assertions were inaccurate when confronted by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. "China and Cuba have now reached a secret agreement, we’re told, for China to establish an electronic facility which would allow Chinese intelligence agents to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern US,” Mitchell began to Mr Kirby. “I’ve seen that press report, it’s not accurate,” Mr Kirby contended. “What I can tell you is that we have been concerned since day one of this administration about China’s influence activities around the world, certainly in this hemisphere and in this region, we’re watching this very, very closely.” Mitchell tried again: “You’re saying it’s not accurate that they’re planning this?” “I’m saying we’ve seen the report, it’s not accurate,” said Mr Kirby in response. It was a much stronger statement than he himself had made to the Journal initially. The paper quotes him as saying in response to their request for comment, “While I cannot speak to this specific report, we are well aware of – and have spoken many times to – the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to invest in infrastructure around the world that may have military purposes, including in this hemisphere.” “We monitor it closely, take steps to counter it, and remain confident that we are able to meet all our security commitments at home, in the region, and around the world,” he added in that statement. At a news briefing on Thursday, a spokesman for the Pentagon echoed Mr Kirby’s denial. “I’ve seen that reporting, I can tell you, based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate,” said Air Force Brig Gen Pat Ryder. The report’s publication comes at a time of tension between Washington and Beijing, with both sides accusing the other of purposefully inflammatory actions. Some of those actions have included trips to Taiwan by senior US officials, which have enraged the Chinese government as they mark the US’s continued defiance of China’s claims of sovereignty over the island. It also comes as many in the US, particularly on the left, argue that the time has come for an end to the US embargo of Cuba, the socialist nation shunned by the US since the Cold War, when it was firmly allied with the Soviet Union. The decades-long trade prohibition has left Cuba’s economy in a delicate state, and many argue serves no purpose in the modern era. Read More Biden and Sunak to focus on Ukraine and economic security in British PM's first White House visit AP-NORC poll finds both Democrats, Republicans skeptical of US spying practices Alabama senator says Space Command prefers Huntsville for HQ, but command has no comment Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine Sunak announces ‘Atlantic Declaration’ to boost UK-US ties after Biden talks AP-NORC poll finds both Democrats, Republicans skeptical of US spying practices

Chris Christie is punching back at Donald Trump after the former president responded to his campaign announcement with a juvenile video edit making fun of Mr Christie’s weight. The former New Jersey governor appeared on CNN on Wednesday after launching his campaign with a town hall event at St Anselm College a night earlier in Manchester, New Hampshire. “It’s so juvenile. He is such a spoiled baby,” Mr Christie said. This is the second time Mr Christie has made a bid for the White House, the first being in 2016 when he lost to former president Donald Trump. Though Mr Christie lent his support to Mr Trump in 2016 when he dropped out of the race, he has since changed his opinion of the former president and become a vocal critic. That was evident on Tuesday, as he denounced his former ally as a corrupt narcissist and vowed to draw blood in his quest for the Republican nomination. He did so several times during the town hall event, notably by tearing into the former president’s family for “breathtaking” levels of corruption and “grift”, which he said had followed them through the White House and beyond. Read More Trump ridicules Chris Christie’s weight in edited 2024 campaign launch video Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024 Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment The Republican presidential field is largely set. Here are takeaways on where the contest stands. Chris Christie hits back at Trump’s mockery over his weight: ‘He’s such a spoiled baby’

A Donald Trump-supporting New York billionaire says that he wants to buy embattled CNN from Warner Bros. Discovery. Grocery mogul John Catsimatidis told The New York Post that he would “go run the place tomorrow morning and all I’d want is $1 per year.” The news network has been hit by falling ratings and earlier this week under-fire CEO Chris Licht, who attempted to drag CNN to the right, was fired after a searing profile in The Atlantic. Greek-born Mr Catsimatidis, 74, refused to tell the newspaper how much he would be willing to offer for CNN. “It’s up to the investment bankers to come up with the numbers,” he said, as he suggested that finance to complete the deal would not be an issue. “We could always bring partners in, but I want to run the place,” he continued. “We are capable of putting down a substantial amount of money.” And he added: “I’d go run the place tomorrow morning, and all I’d want is $1 per year and a piece of the upside.” Mr Catsimatidis, who has a reported personal wealth of more than $4bn, is already in the media business having bought New York’s WABC radio station for $12.5m in 2019. “Whoever is running that company (CNN) is wrong,” Mr Catsimatidis said, telling the newspaper the network should not have fired Mr Licht, who supported the controversial Donald Trump town hall. “If the network is getting half a million (viewers) a night and they have Trump on and they get 3 million (viewers), to fire the CEO for getting that many people…” he said. But he insisted that if took over CNN he would continue to try and ensure that Republicans got equal coverage to Democrats. “I want the truth, not opinions. If people say there’s two truths, let’s voice both truths and let the viewers decide.” Read More How Chris Licht’s botched effort to drag CNN to the right ended with his own stunning downfall CNN CEO Chris Licht out days after devastating expose CNN’s own media reporter turns on embattled CEO The folly of trusting Trump claims two more victims. Why do they do it?

President Joe Biden on Thursday blasted efforts across the country to roll back LGBTQ+ protections, referring to proponents of the restrictions as "hysterical" and "prejudiced."

Gov Ron DeSantis’ campaign has been accused of using fake, AI-generated images of former President Donald Trump hugging ex-White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci in an attack ad. Mr DeSantis and Mr Trump have been trading barbs for weeks about their respective Covid responses, with Mr Trump’s campaign and surrogates arguing that Mr DeSantis’ initial lockdown measures in Florida were too harsh and Mr DeSantis’ campaign arguing that Mr Trump was too acquiescent to medical professionals like Dr Fauci in crafting his administration’s response. Now, in the ad shared by the the “DeSantis War Room” Twitter account, the Florida governor’s campaign is accused of crossing an ethical line. The adveritsement begins with clips of Mr Trump firing people on his reality television show before pivoting to clips of Mr Trump telling reporters that he would not or could not fire Dr Fauci, who was seen as the symbol of a public health response to the crisis some Republicans disagreed with. Towards the end of the ad, the screen shows a split with six images of Mr Trump and Dr Fauci — three of which experts believe were generated by artificial intelligence. AFP first reported the presence of the allegedly fake images. The three images experts believe are fake are located in the top left, bottom centre, and bottom right of the screen. All of them feature Mr Trump and Dr Fauci embracing and cannot be found elsewhere on the internet, a sign that they may be AI-generated. There are other signs as well. The Verge noted that the potentially AI-generated images are glossier and have more blurred textures than the other images and show Mr Trump and Dr Fauci in physically improbable poses. The reproduction of the White House press briefing room in one of the images also looks unrealistic. Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, told the AFP he believed it is “highly likely” that the images are fake. The Independent has reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment. So far, the DeSantis campaign is not exactly denying those allegations. After The Verge’s story was published, DeSantis aide Christina Pushaw tweeted an image Mr Trump had put out of Mr DeSantis on a rhinoceros and wrote “I think this might be an AI-generated image. Who knows?” Mr Trump has indeed used AI several times in recent months, including posting a deep fake mocking Mr DeSantis’ presidential campaign launch. “No campaign has pushed more misleading deepfakes, false photoshops, and outright fabrications than the Trump campaign,” Matt Wolking, a spokesperson for the DeSantis-aligned Never Back Down PAC, told The Verge. “It is 100% true that Donald Trump empowered and embraced Fauci — he even gave him a presidential commendation.” Read More Ivanka and Jared split over attending Trump 2024 launch – follow live Why was Donald Trump impeached twice during his first term? Four big lies Trump told during his 2024 presidential announcement DeSantis news – latest: Florida governor most popular with rich Republicans as he defends move to fly migrants to California Mike Pence news - live: Ex-VP contradicts himself on Trump charges at CNN town hall launching 2024 campaign Trump news – live: Grand jury indictment looms as Trump protests innocence over classified documents

Far-right members of Congress are blocking legislation in the House of Representatives in retaliation after the passage of a bipartisan agreement to lift the debt ceiling. The rebellion began earlier this week, when members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus voted against a rule to advance a bill that would prevent government action on gas stoves. Every Democrat voted against the bill, along with 12 Republicans, making it the first time a rule to pass a piece of legislation had failed to pass on the House floor since 2002. Many of the Republicans who opposed the rule also opposed the agreement to lift the debt limit, such as Reps Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Chip Roy (R-TX) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO). Mr Gaetz said the blockade came in retaliation for the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement that House Republican leadership brokered with the White House that passed last week. “When Speaker McCarthy and House GOP Leadership couldn’t hold the line on spending, they surrendered the ability to exclusively hold the floor,” Mr Gaetz tweeted. “We are going to #HoldTheFloor and refuse to allow their failure theater to continue to play out.” “All we are asking is that Speaker McCarthy abide by the spending commitments he previously made,” Rep Ken Buck (R-CO) tweeted. “That’s not an unreasonable ask.” As a result, the House dismissed itself for the rest of the week and will not convene until Monday 12 June for votes. The logjam led to House Republican leadership blaming each other. “We’ve been through this before; you know we’re in a small majority,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said, The New York Times reported, also taking a swipe at House Majority Leader Steve Scalise for the failure to control procedure. “The majority leader runs the floor,” he told reporters. Many House conservatives said that Mr McCarthy broke a series of promises he made to them in January of this year, when they forced the House to go into 15 rounds before he became speaker. Mr Scalise said he was not privy to those negotiations with conservatives in an interview with Punchbowl News. “So I still don’t know what those agreements were,” he said. “Whatever they are, [conservatives] feel that the agreements were broken. That’s got to get resolved. Hopefully it does.” Read More Gaetz and Boebert vow to force McCarthy into ‘monogamous relationship’ Lauren Boebert claims she missed vote on debt ceiling deal because it was a ‘c**p sandwich’ Richard Snyder, ‘warrior-king’ of publishing who presided over rise of Simon & Schuster, dead at 90 Senators call on TikTok CEO to explain 'inaccurate' statements about how company manages US data Judge rules to release names of Rep. Santos bond cosigners, will say secret for now as appeal mulled

Watch live as Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak hold a press conference after their meeting at the White House on Thursday (8 June). The war in Ukraine and artificial intelligence (AI) were two topics expected to be high on the agenda in their talks, which took place in Washington DC. Mr Biden and Mr Sunak met days after the Nova Kakhovka dam, which lies along the Dnipro river in Russia-held Kherson, was blown up. As a result of the incident, water gushed into nearby villages and towns in the region with a 42,000-strong population at risk of losing their homes, food, safe water and livelihoods. Ukraine has blamed Russia for an attack on the dam, and Mr Sunak said earlier this week that the destruction would be “new low” if Moscow was indeed responsible. “What I can say is if it is intentional, it would represent, I think, the largest attack on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine since the start of the war, and just would demonstrate the new lows that we would have seen from Russian aggression,” he said. Read More Budget 2022: Hunt says UK in recession as he announces huge tax rises Jeremy Hunt increases energy windfall tax in budget Jeremy Hunt freezes tax allowances and hits 45p rate payers

Donald Trump has praised the life of Christian televangelist Pat Robertson, even though he once said that the former president was living in an “alternate reality.” Robertson died at the age of 93 at his home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Thursday morning, according to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). The conservative broadcaster himself ran unsuccessfully ran for president in 1988, finishing behind behind both George HW Bush and Bob Dole. “Today the World lost an incredible and powerful Voice for Faith and Freedom. Pat Robertson showed us that Belief in God produces results that can change the course of History,” wrote Mr Trump on his Truth Social platform. “Pat’s legacy lives on in the many endeavors and lives that he touched. He will be greatly missed. Our hearts and prayers are with his Family!” Mr Robertson predicted that Mr Trump would beat Joe Biden for the White House in 2020, but then criticised him when he refused to accept his defeat. He made his “alternate reality” comment in an interview with CBN as Mr Trump filed a desperate and unsuccessful Supreme Court challenge to Mr Biden’s win in December 2020. “You’ve had your day and it’s time to move on,” Mr Robertson said of Mr Trump. “I had prayed and hoped that there might be some better solution, but I don’t think … I think it’s all over.” Mr Robertson also incorrectly predicted that vice president Kamala Harris would take over from Mr Biden “not too long after the inauguration.” Regent University in Virginia, which Robertson founded, also released a statement saying it was mourning his loss. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved founder,” said Regent University executive vice president for academic affairs William Hathaway. “Dr Robertson was a globally-renowned leader, broadcaster, philanthropist, educator, author, accomplished businessman, and – most importantly – a faithful servant of God who dedicated his life to glorifying the Lord and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Read More Trump in ‘alternate reality’, says televangelist Pat Robertson, as he advises president against 2024 run Trump news – live: Grand jury indictment looms as Trump protests innocence over classified documents Trump knew how to correctly declassify documents, White House official tells prosecutors Why was Tucker Carlson fired from Fox News? Chris Christie hits back at Trump’s mockery over his weight: ‘He’s such a spoiled baby’ ‘Small, pathetic man’: Inside the bitter rivalry between Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom

US President Joe Biden accidentally called UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “Mr President” as the two met in the Oval Office of The White House during Mr Sunak’s two-day visit to Washington, DC. “Well Mr President ...I just demoted you, Mr Prime Minister,” Mr Biden said as he quickly corrected himself. Mr Biden assured Mr Sunak that the US-UK special relationship is in “real good shape” and that the US has no “closer ally than Great Britain,” adding that he was “delighted” to see the prime minister in the US capital. Mr Sunak welcomed Mr Biden’s “warm words” and lauded the “strength of our partnership, our friendship”. “We will put our values front and centre as we’ve always done,” he said. Mr Biden mentioned that Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt met in the very same place more than seven decades before, according to the Mirror. “They asserted to the strength of the partnership between Great Britain and the United States with the strength of the free world. I still think there’s truth to that assertion,” he said. Mr Sunak recalled that Mr Churchill was once found wandering the halls of the White House in the middle of the night, joking that he wouldn’t be. He has been staying at the presidential guest house, Blair House, during his hectic visit. The US government bought the property after Eleanor Roosevelt discovered Mr Churchill carrying a cigar as he headed towards the private area of the first family at about 3am. “There’s an awful lot of stories that are told, probably a bunch apocryphal about former prime ministers,” Mr Biden said. “Wondering around at 3am in the morning? Winston Churchill bothering Mrs Roosevelt,” Mr Sunak said. “Sir, don’t worry, you won’t see me there bothering you and the First Lady.” “In the past few months we have met each other in San Diego and then we met in Belfast and we met Hiroshima,” Mr Biden noted. “And now we’re here we’re going solve all the problems of the world in the next 20 minutes.” “Together, we’re providing economic humanitarian aid and security assistance to Ukraine in their fight against the Russians,” the president added. Mr Sunak said that “it’s daunting to think of the conversations that our predecessors had in this room when they had to speak of wars that they fought together, peace won together, incredible change in the lives of our citizens”. “And again, for the first time in over half a century, we face a war on the European continent,” he added in reference to Russia’s war in Ukraine. “And as we’ve done before, the US and the UK, have stood together to support Ukraine and stand up for the values of democracy and freedom and make sure that they prevail, as I know we will.” Read More Budget 2022: Hunt says UK in recession as he announces huge tax rises Jeremy Hunt increases energy windfall tax in budget Jeremy Hunt freezes tax allowances and hits 45p rate payers Watch live as Biden and Sunak hold press conference after White House talks Leaders reflect on Churchill’s early hours visits to Roosevelt Government must ‘speed up and scale up’ AI in education – Lord Hague

A White House official who testified to the Justice Department regarding both Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s handling of classified materials told the agency that the 45th president understood the process for correctly declassifying those papers, according to CNN. CNN reports that the official, whose name was not published, told prosecutors about a 2018 instance in which Mr Trump directed his team to go through the correct process for declassifying a document, a memo relating to the Russia investigation. That experience could undercut any potential arguments from Mr Trump’s lawyers insisting that their client did not know or care about learning the correct procedure; so far, Mr Trump has insisted that he had issued an order to automatically declassify any documents taken from the White House — an explanation rejected by former Trump White House staff. His attorneys have claimed that the classified documents were taken inadvertantly. In general, the former president has raged against the DoJ’s multiple investigations into his activities, which include his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and actions on January 6. He has consistently argued that the lack of scrutiny into Joe Biden’s handling of classified materials is evidence of a double standard, though notably Mr Biden’s team is reported to have been much more forthcoming once they discovered documents at their client’s residence and office at a DC-based think tank. Mr Trump’s team has been engaged in a dispute with the federal government over the full return of documents retained from the White House for months; just recently, the DoJ subpoenaed the Trump team for any documents regarding potential plans for an invasion of Iran. The sheer extent of Mr Trump’s trove and his continued insistance to be its rightful owner has proved to be a headache for the ex-president’s legal team as the DoJ’s special counsel overseeing the probe, Jack Smith, nears a decision on whether to file charges. The former president was first reported by The Independent this week to have received a letter indicating that he was the target of the investigation, and would likely soon be charged. That set off another wave of condemnations from the Mar-a-Lago monarch on Truth Social, as he rages that the investigations are a supposed attempt to block his return to power. “Wow, this is turning out to be the greatest & most vicious instance of ELECTION INTERFERENCE in the history of our Country. Remember, I’m leading DeSanctimonious BIG in the Polls but, more importantly, I’m leading Biden by a lot. Also, & perhaps most importantly, they are launching all of the many Fake Investigations against me RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CAMPAIGN, something which is unheard of & not supposed to happen. DOJ, FBI, NEW YORK A.G., NEW YORK D.A., ATLANTA D.A. FASCISTS ALL!” wrote Mr Trump on Wednesday. Read More Republicans abruptly drop plans to level contempt charges against FBI chief Christopher Wray Pence calls on DoJ not to indict Trump but stops short of saying he’d pardon him if elected in 2024 Trump’s ex-adviser Steve Bannon subpoenaed by Jack Smith’s Jan 6 probe, says report

Chris Christie is punching back at Donald Trump after the former president responded to his campaign announcement with a juvenile video edit making fun of Mr Christie’s weight. The former New Jersey governor appeared on CNN on Wednesday after launching his campaign with a town hall event at St Anselm College a night earlier. During his interview, he was questioned by The Lead host Jake Tapper about a video Mr Trump posted on Truth Social of Mr Christie delivering remarks edited to appear as if the candidate is holding a plate of food while he talks. Mr Christie responded that the move reinforced, for him, the childishness of his opponent. “It just renewed in my own mind what a child he is. He’s a baby. Whenever you want to criticise him, in any way, that’s the way he responds,” Mr Christie said. Likening that behaviour to that of a toddler, he added that Mr Trump should be “sent to [his] room, not to the White House”. “It’s so juvenile. He is such a spoiled baby,” Mr Christie continued. He then noted that he had been struggling with his weight and health for many years, quipping derisively that Mr Trump was “breaking news” with his response. Separately, Mr Trump accused the former governor of having a fixation on the word “small” during his town hall event in another Truth Social statement. “How many times did Chris Christie use the word SMALL? Does he have a psychological problem with SIZE? Actually, his speech was SMALL, and not very good. It rambled all over the place, and nobody had a clue of what he was talking about. Hard to watch, boring, but that’s what you get from a failed Governor (New Jersey) who left office with a 7% approval rating and then got run out of New Hampshire,” barked the former president. “This time, it won’t be any different!” It was, generally, a sign of the aggressive tone that both Mr Christie and Mr Trump plan to adopt in the GOP primary, which has heated up this week with the addition of three separate candidates in the field. Comparatively, their fellow candidates in the Republican primary have shied away from directly attacking the former president or responding to his own jabs at them. Not so for the New Jerseyan two-time presidential candidate, who laid into his opponent during his appearance in New Hampshire this week and accused the entire Trump family of the same “grift” and corruption which they accuse the Biden family of undertaking. He also tore into the former president’s record, characterising Mr Trump as an inefficient president who failed to address a number of problems — but namely immigration reform — during his four years in the White House. Read More Mike Pence isn’t even a contender for 2024. Why are we pretending? Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment Pence accuses Trump of treating abortion issue as an ‘inconvenience’ Trump ridicules Chris Christie’s weight in edited 2024 campaign launch video The Republican presidential field is largely set. Here are takeaways on where the contest stands. Doug Burgum, little-known governor of North Dakota, announces White House run

It’s been more than two decades since a state governor was elected to the White House, but you wouldn’t know it looking at the 2024 presidential race. Six current or former governors have entered the 2024 GOP primary so far. But no statehouse rivalry is more pronounced in US politics than the one between Florida governor and 2024 Republican candidate Ron DeSantis, and his Democratic counterpart from California, governor Gavin Newsom. The two, both seen as serious presidential prospects, if not now then someday, have been trading barbs for years, and things have only heated up as a presidential election season approaches. Most recently, Mr Newsom lashed out at Mr DeSantis this, calling him a “small, pathetic man,” after Florida officials facilitated a large group of South American migrants being dropped off without warning at a Sacramento church, a repeat of the Florida governor’s highly controversial move to do the same in Martha’s Vineyard last year. The California governor said Florida officials could face kidnapping charges. It’s far from the first time the two men – each the leader of a large, economically important state, whose policies typify each party – have locked horns. Their battles have much to say about where each party is going, and the political fate of these two men could suggest which vision of politics and leadership the American people want more. In March, during a visit to California to speak at the Reagan Presidential Library, the Florida Republican blasted Mr Newsom for following the advice of public health experts at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, accusing him of “subcontract[ing] ... leadership to health bureaucrats,” and claimed that Californians were flocking to Florida. “When the world went mad, when common sense suddenly became an uncommon virtue, Florida stood as a refuge of sanity, a citadel of freedom for people throughout the United States and indeed, throughout the world. We refused to let our state descend into some type of Faucian dystopia, where people’s rights were curtailed, and their livelihoods were destroyed. We made sure people had a right to work and we got people back to work and businesses back open,” he said. The Florida governor also said the Californian’s leadership showed how Democrats “coddle the criminals and put the rights of the criminals over the safety of the public and the rights of victims.” Mr Newsom, for his part, has made a point of showing how on issues like Covid and gun crime, California is empirically a safer place to be. "Just look at the data – California residents are safer, healthier and more prosperous than those unfortunate enough to have you as their Governor," Mr Newsom told CBS News during the Florida governor’s visit. "Oh by the way, you’re going to get smoked by Trump." Mr Newsom has made his own high-profile incursions into his rival’s state, including donating thousands to Mr DeSantis’s rivals. In April, the California Democrat met with students of Florida’s New College, a public liberal arts college that has recently become a target in Mr DeSantis’s wide-ranging campaign to bend Florida’s education system in a hyper-conservative direction by limiting access to materials concerning gender and sexuality, as well as the history of racism. “I can’t believe what you’re dealing with. It’s just an unbelievable assault,” Mr Newsom said at an appearance at a library near campus. “It’s common with everything he’s doing, bullying and intimidating vulnerable communities. Weakness, Ron DeSantis, weakness masquerading as strength across the board.” Last summer, Mr Newsom had an even bigger provocation for Mr DeSantis, using extra campaign cash to release a 30-second ad in Florida urging residents of the Sunshine State to move to California. "Freedom, it’s under attack in your state,” the spot claimed. “Republican leaders, they’re banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors," the governor said in a voiceover narration accompanying images of Mr DeSantis and former president Donald Trump. Indeed, the two states couldn’t be more different across a variety of areas, with Florida all but banning abortion, while California ceased doing business with Walgreens because the company wouldn’t sell abortion pills. In addition to a debate over their state’s respective policies, it seems a deep dislike of the other man has fueled the back-and-forth, with the Florida governor painting Mr Newsom as an out-of-touch hypocrite, while the California leader accuses the Republican of being a spiteful bigot and a “bully.” “As he was locking down his citizens, he would then go and have these extravagant dinners at the French Laundry to basically rub his citizens’ noses in the fact that he was treating them like peasants. You know in Florida we weren’t locking them down, we lifted our people up. We made sure to protect individuals’ freedoms,” Mr DeSantis said in July. That same summer, Mr Newsom flatly told an interviewer, “I don’t like DeSantis, the way he talked about Fauci,” after the Florida governor joked about throwing “that little elf” Dr Anthony Fauci into the Potomac River. “My entire life, I don’t like bullies…That’s being celebrated in American politics. DeSantis is the worst of it.” Things escalated further in September, with Mr Newsom challenging the Florida governor to a televised debate, further cementing an idea at the time that the men were running a kind of unofficial presidential campaign against each other, even though at that time Mr DeSantis hadn’t yet declared, and even though Mr Newsom would eventually endorse Joe Biden and formally swear off a primary challenge. The rivalry has extended outside of the presidential contest to the world of business. In May, the Walt Disney Company announced it was pulling out of a planned $1bn development in Florida, keeping thousands of jobs in California, as the Magic Kingdom feuded with Mr DeSantis over the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law and its decision to dissolve Disney’s special municipal district privileges in the state. But a political face-off between the two doesn’t seem too far away, and any contest would likely be even more intense than the shadow campaign the men have been running against each other for the previous two years. Mr Newsom has admitted a kind of grudging respect for Republicans like Mr DeSantis, who he feels have successfully convinced the country to go along with their vision on culture war issues. The California governor has argued Democrats have a serious “messaging problem.” “We allow these culture wars to take shape, and we are constantly on the back end,” Mr Newsom said. Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called a presidential run from Newsom, whose term ends in 2027, a “no-brainer.” With Mr DeSantis badly trailing Donald Trump in the polls, it seems a Newsom-DeSantis election may not be happening just yet, but may not be too far away in the future. Read More DeSantis news – latest: Texas sheriff backs Newsom and also recommends criminal charges over migrant flights Gavin Newsom suggests kidnap charges over Ron DeSantis’s migrant flights Ron DeSantis called out for ‘ignoring’ Hollywood beach shooting: ‘He doesn’t care’