Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis trade insults in feisty debate

Mr DeSantis attacked Mr Newsom over his handling of crime, while Mr Newsom claimed Mr DeSantis would lose the Republican nomination for the 2024 election

The Democratic and Republican governors of two of the most populous US states exchanged insults for more than an hour on primetime television.

Fox News host Sean Hannity moderated the so-called Great Red vs Blue State Debate between Florida's Ron DeSantis and California's Gavin Newsom.

The event featured arguments about abortion, crime, the US economy and the 2024 presidential election.

Unlike Mr DeSantis, Mr Newsom is not running in the election.

But the California governor claimed last night it was only a matter of time before Mr DeSantis would be forced to concede.

"We have one thing in common: Neither of us will be the nominee for our party in 2024," Mr Newsom said.

Over the course of the night, Mr Newsom lobbed several jabs at Mr DeSantis over Mr Trump's 2024 polling lead. The Florida governor was widely viewed as a rival candidate to Mr Trump, but has seen his favourability drop in recent months.

• A showdown between alternative visions of America

Mr Newsom also proved a fierce defender of Mr Biden, frequently touting his policy successes such as US economic growth and falling inflation numbers.

His support for Mr Biden became a line of attack for Mr DeSantis.

"He's joined at the hip with Biden and [Vice President Kamala] Harris," Mr DeSantis said.

The Florida governor also attacked Mr Newsom over several of his policies, including Covid-19 quarantine restrictions and his handling of crime in the state.

It proved to be a more spirited performance for Mr DeSantis than previous Republican presidential debates, where he has struggled to stand out.

As the two leaders continued to yell over each other, Mr Hannity pleaded with them to spend more time directly responding to his questions.

"It'd be great if both of you guys cooperated. I'm not a potted plant here," he said.