'Blizzard of lies': 5 highlights from DeSantis vs. Newsom 'Great State Debate'

'Poisoning our people': Addressing the border crisis

Both governors agreed that something must be done to address the border crisis, with Newsom affirming his support for the Biden administration's $14 billion border request to Congress.

Newsom accused DeSantis of "lying to migrants" by promising them jobs and housing, only to send them to sanctuary cities for illegal immigration like Martha's Vineyard and Sacramento.

“I met with those migrants that you lied to, under false pretense," Newsom said. "That kind of gamesmanship, using human beings as pawns, I think is disqualifying."

DeSantis said Newsom is in lock-step with the Biden administration's "open borders" policies, which he said are overwhelming the country with fentanyl deaths and will inevitably lead to a terrorist attack.

"They are poisoning our people, and Joe Biden is sitting on his hands," he said. "He refuses to take care of the border. He refuses to hold the drug cartels accountable."

"This is the vision of Biden-Harris-Newsom," he continued. "Open borders, Americans suffer and Americans continue to die because of fentanyl overdoses. There will be, unfortunately, a terrorist attack at some point that we'll be able to trace back to our southern border."

According to government statistics, there have been approximately 2.5 million migrant apprehension at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023, which topped the previous year's numbers and set a new record.