California Gov. Gavin Newsom challenges Vice President JD Vance to debate: ‘How about saying it to my face?’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom challenged Vice President JD Vance to face off in a debate.
“Hey @JDVance — nice of you to finally make it out to California. Since you’re so eager to talk about me, how about saying it to my face? Let’s debate. Time and place?” the Democratic governor said in a Friday post on his @GavinNewsom X account.
So far, the vice president has not replied on the social media platform to Newsom’s challenge.
JD VANCE RAILS AGAINST NEWSOM, LA MAYOR FOR DECLARING ‘OPEN SEASON ON FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT’
Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s press team on Saturday, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The vice president lambasted the Golden State governor and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass while delivering remarks in Los Angeles on Friday.
Vance said that the governor “is endangering law enforcement,” adding, “The law enforcement officials themselves tell me as much.”
Newsom communications director Izzy Gardon pushed back, calling Vance “a liar” in an email to Fox News Digital on Saturday.
“Jose Vance is a liar. The Vice President’s claim is categorically false. There is no evidence to support his made-up claim — and we challenge him to produce any. The Governor has consistently condemned violence, including against law enforcement officers, and has made his stance clear over and over again. Here are at least a dozen examples,” Gardon wrote, providing a list of more than a dozen links to posts on the @CAgovernor X account.
One of the posts reads, “Los Angeles: don’t take Trump’s bait. Trump wants chaos and he’s instigated violence. Those who assault law enforcement or cause property damage will risk arrest. Stay peaceful. Stay focused. Don’t give him the excuse he’s looking for.”
Gardon’s reference to “Jose Vance” seems to be a play on Vance’s comment about “Jose Padilla” on Friday when apparently referring to U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.
“He knows my name,” Padilla said during remarks Saturday on MSNBC, calling Vance’s jab an “indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is.”
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