Florida governor debate: Gillum clashes with DeSantis in heated final exchange before vote
Florida governor candidates Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis have exchanged sharp personal barbs in a heated second — and final — debate before voters take to the polls next month to determine which candidate will lead their state for the next four years.
The pair dragged one another through the mud on the debate stage at Broward College in Davie, Florida, where they were asked to describe their plan for the state on issue ranging from the environment, immigration, healthcare, and education.
But, they repeatedly returned to personal attacks in the process, suggesting the race has turned into an all-out verbal brawl as the candidates enter the home stretch of an election that has drawn national attention as something of a proxy to larger political headwinds in America.
“We have seen the collapsing of our political discourse,” Mr Gillum, the mayor of Tallahasee, said early in the debate when asked about a string of pipe bombs that had been sent to the offices and homes of Democratic leaders across the country on Wednesday. “My opponent, endorsed by him, has run this race very, very close to the Trump handbook, where we call each other names, where we run false advertisements”.
Mr DeSantis, a former US congressman with the backing of President Donald Trump, repeatedly attacked Mr Gillum over text messages that were recently revealed showing the Tallahassee governor communicating about receiving tickets to the play Hamilton that were provided by an undercover FBI agent.
“He wants you believe that he’s not under investigation,” Mr DeSantis said. “Why would an undercover FBI agent posing as a contractor give you a ticket to Hamilton?”
The Democrat has repeatedly insisted that he has been told he is not the subject of an FBI investigation, but recognised that his handling of the situation has led to problems. There is no indication that the FBI is investigating Mr Gillum.
“I take responsibility for not having asked more questions,” Mr Gillum said during the debate, noting that he was under the impression that his brother had returned the favor for the Hamilton tickets by giving Beyoncé and Jay-Z tickets to the individual they received the play tickets from. “But let me tell you, I’m running for governor. In the state of Florida we have many issues. And tickets to Hamilton ain’t one of them.”
If you want to know how the debate unfolded, check our live coverage below
In attendance tonight is Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose office received a suspicious package this morning as a part of a series of packages received by Democratic leaders in the US today and this week.
The packages are said to have contained pipe bombs.
In addition to Ms Wasserman Schultz, former President Barack Obama and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were also on the receiving end of the pipe bomb packages.
Congressman Ted Deutch is also in attendance, and told The Independent before the debate began that he expects that Mr Gillum, a fellow Democrat, will "lay out an optimistic vision for Florida".
As for Mr DeSantis, Mr Deutch said that he expects "a lot of desperate attacks from my former colleague".
A considerable portion of supporters were seen outside of the debate this afternoon, with a truck celebrating Mr DeSantis driving around the parking lot blaring country music.
Supporters of Mr DeSantis also wedged Trump flags into the ground, and said that immigration and the economy are driving policies behind their votes.
Mr Gillum's supporters, on the other hand, frequently referenced the state's education system and environmental concerns as major motivating issues. Many stopped short of bashing Mr Trump, but suggested that he is not a responsible steward of the United States.
The first question is to Mr DeSantis about the pipe bombs sent to Democratic leaders this morning.
He is asked if we've reached a point in divisive political discourse where people are being pushed over the edge.
He noted that he was at the congressional baseball practice last year where Republicans where shot in a politically motivated attack, and said he "condemns" both that shooting and the pipe bombs.
Mr Gillum is getting the same question. His response:
"I think the answer is absolutely it is. We saw not only around the country but right here in our own state Democratic elected officials who were targeted, thankfully nobody was hurt in today's incidences.
"We've really seen a collapsing of political discourse," Mr Gillum said before attacking his opponent for early remarks that he would "monkey it up" if he is elected governor— which has been cast by the democrat as a racist attack.
Mr DeSantis has accused Mr Gillum of lying about receiving a "$1,000 ticket" to a broadway show. He said that he lied about receiving that ticket, and that it has been proven now that he did receive such a ticket from an undercover FBI agent because of recent news reports.
Mr Gillum defended himself, and recognized that he did see the show, but that he received the ticket from his brother.
"I take responsibility or not having asked more questions," Mr Gilum said.
"I am not the subject of an FBI investigation, neither is my city," he continued.
Mr Gillum had this gem to throw out there in regards to allegations of corruption related to receiving Hamilton tickets from an undercover FBI investigator:
Here's the first mention of President Trump. Mr DeSantis is asked how he can square the multiple investigations into the president — who he supports — with his attacks on Mr Gillum for receiving Hamilton tickets.
He attacked Mr Gillum, and then said he conducted oversight over the FBI to keep politics out of US intelligence services.
Mr DeSantis has been asked about his position on healthcare, and said that he would support care for pre-existing conditions. Republicans have recently landed on that talking point even though they recently attempted to pull back much of those protections.
"I will happily sign a bill to help folks with pre-existing conditions in the state of Florida," Mr DeSantis said.
Mr Gillum countered that he voted "repeatedly" to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which extended pre-existing condition coverage in the United States.
Mr DeSantis said that any Floridians who fall through the cracks would be cared for somehow.
Mr Gillum was asked how a $15 an hour minimum policy that he supports would be paid for.
He responded that corporations and businesses receive billions in tax breaks a year in Florida, but promised not to repeal that. He then suggested that he is just trying to make sure that lower income Floridians have a little more money in their pockets to make ends meet.
Mr DeSantis attacked Mr Gillum, and said that he has a history of tax increases from his time as mayor of Tallahasee.
Mr Gillum has responded by attacking Mr DeSantis's support for the federal tax cuts championed by the Trump administration. Mr Gillum said that his opponent supported that legislation, which heavily benefited the wealthiest of Americans. He said that that money did not "trickle down" like Republicans say the money will.
He suggested that working Americans are the ones who should see that money.
"When working people get a raise they spend it. They pay their rent and they pay their mortgage and maybe they save enough to take a vacation. That shouldn't be too much in Florida," he said
Mr Gillum said that as governor he will push for more funding for public schools in Florida, and said that he will start that effort by paying teachers more money. Florida teachers, he said, make the 45th lowest wages in all 50 states.
"It's going to begin by paying teachers a wage they can live on right now.," he said
Referencing the low wages, Mr Gillum brought his grandmother into the conversation:
"If my grandmother were her she wouldn't just say that's a shame. She would say that's a crying shame," he said.
Here's a little more on Mr Gillum's promise to expand Medicaid in Florida under the Affordable Care Act. The policy, he said, would impact the neediest 800,000 Floridians by helping them pay for healthcare.
He said the issue is personal to him, too.
"This means something to me," Mr Gillum said. "I remember having to wait for the free dental clinic to come through my neighborhood so I could have my teeth cleaned."
Mr Gillum says that he wants the Department of Homeland Security to take over the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been criticized recently after it was learned that border agents were separating children from their mothers at the border.
"We ... believe that we're a nation in a state of values where we don't separate babies, put them in cages to separate them from their mothers," Mr Gillum said after saying that there are no sanctuary cities in Florida.
"I believe in borders here in the United States but I believe that our mission has been diverted toward taking away breast feeding babies from their mothers and that is inconsistent with the American way," Mr Gillum said.
