Fox Information formally titled it “The Nice Purple vs. Blue State Debate.” However the faceoff shortly become a full-out political brawl between Gavin Newsom, California’s Democratic governor who is not working for president; and Ron DeSantis, the Florida Republican governor who’s, and isn’t gaining floor towards former President Donald Trump in voter polls.

The occasion was held in Alpharetta, Georgia, aired on Fox Information, and moderated by Sean Hannity. Our PolitiFact companions examined the 2 state officers’ wide-ranging statements. You’ll be able to learn the full protection right here.

Newsom has relished taunting DeSantis on social media and Fox Information and, earlier this 12 months, he invited DeSantis to debate — arguing that the red-state insurance policies DeSantis has handed are stripping Individuals of their freedoms. DeSantis counters that he’s the stronger defender of freedom, and has blasted California as “the petri dish for American leftism” and argues that “all the pieces [President Joe] Biden is doing, they’d speed up.”

True to the occasion’s billing, the nation’s tradition wars have been entrance and middle on the talk stage. DeSantis portrayed California as a failed state with rampant crime and homelessness led by an “elite” politician too liberal for the remainder of the nation. “They’ve failed due to his leftist ideology,” DeSantis mentioned.

Newsom shot again, enjoying up California’s immense economic system and describing his state as one with out peer. He expressed his dedication to Biden’s reelection. He additionally known as out DeSantis for his covid-19 insurance policies, saying extra Floridians died of covid because of his extra relaxed public well being guidelines: “Tens of 1000’s of individuals misplaced their lives and for what, Ron?”

Abortion was a transparent flashpoint. Newsom defended California’s sturdy abortion protections and attacked DeSantis, alleging he “criminalizes” ladies and docs. He additionally instructed that if DeSantis grew to become president, he would additional roll again abortion rights nationwide. Newsom, requested by Hannity if he would signal a regulation banning abortion later in being pregnant, argued that such circumstances are extraordinarily uncommon.

“I belief the mom and her physician to make that call,” he mentioned.

The 2 additionally sparred over ebook bans, parental rights, and insurance policies relating to the LGBTQ+ neighborhood.

DeSantis criticized Newsom on California’s rising homelessness, which he mentioned contributed to the “destruction of qualify of life” within the state.

Newsom identified that the disaster has been brewing for many years. He famous, although, that underneath his management, billions of {dollars} in taxpayer cash has been directed towards countering homelessness. He additionally boasted concerning the state’s investments in psychological well being and habit applications.

“The distinction is I am the primary governor in California historical past to take this head-on,” Newsom mentioned, arguing that underneath his insurance policies 68,000 individuals have been moved off the streets and into shelter or housing.

Listed below are the health-related claims PolitiFact examined:

Covid-19 lockdowns

Newsom borrowed a web page from Trump’s playbook by misleadingly portraying DeSantis as a lockdown chief. Newsom’s feedback centered on DeSantis’ actions within the pandemic’s first few weeks, when practically all governors operated in lockstep. Newsom omits that DeSantis reopened sooner than most governors in spring 2020.

“You handed an emergency declaration earlier than the state of California did,” Newsom mentioned. “You closed down your seashores, your bars, your eating places. It’s a truth.”

Many native governments closed seashores for a restricted time, however DeSantis didn’t shut them statewide.

DeSantis issued an govt order on March 17, 2020, directing Floridians to “restrict their gatherings” at seashores to not more than 10 individuals and to “assist seashore closures on the discretion of native authorities.”

He additionally ordered seashores in Broward and Palm Seaside counties to shut for 11 days, following suggestions from native officers and the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. The governor’s refusal to shut most seashores to spring break crowds drew heavy criticism and litigation.

Newsom was on firmer floor in his declare about closing bars. DeSantis ordered all bars and nightclubs closed for 30 days. Eating places didn’t shut. His March 17 order mentioned eating places have been restricted to 50% buyer capability and needed to separate seating by 6 ft.

Governors nationwide issued a number of orders in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. DeSantis issued an order March 1 to ascertain covid response protocol and direct a public well being emergency. On March 4, Newsom declared a state of emergency to assist California put together for the pandemic.

Florida’s abortion limits and DeSantis’ abortion survivor story

As Hannity pressed Newsom on whether or not he supported any abortion restrictions, Newsom attacked Florida’s abortion legal guidelines.

“He signed a invoice banning any exceptions for rape and incest,” Newsom mentioned of DeSantis. “After which he mentioned it didn’t go far sufficient and determined to signal a six-week ban … that criminalizes ladies and criminalizes docs.”

DeSantis signed laws in 2022 that outlawed abortions after 15 weeks of being pregnant. It doesn’t make exceptions for circumstances of incest, rape or human trafficking however consists of an exception for a mom’s life.

DeSantis signed a stricter invoice in April that bans abortions after six weeks of being pregnant. Whether or not the regulation takes impact hinges on how the Florida Supreme Courtroom guidelines in a lawsuit towards the present 15-week ban. The 2023 regulation does include exceptions, together with to avoid wasting a pregnant girl’s life or in circumstances of deadly fetal anomalies. Abortions for pregnancies involving rape, incest, or human trafficking can be allowed till 15 weeks of being pregnant if a lady has documentation reminiscent of a restraining order, police report, or medical document.

The regulation penalizes physicians, however whether or not it additionally criminalizes ladies is much less clear, so we’ve rated an analogous declare Half True. The regulation says that anybody who “actively participates in” an abortion commits a third-degree felony, which opens the door to prosecutors charging ladies, however we do not but know whether or not they may or how courts would reply to such costs. DeSantis has additionally mentioned that he does not need ladies prosecuted, solely docs.

Defending the regulation, DeSantis repeated an anecdote from the primary GOP presidential debate a few Floridian named Penny Hopper. Miriam “Penny” Hopper is an actual individual, and an anti-abortion activist. A few of the particulars about her start story have been known as into query.

Hopper mentioned she survived an abortion try in Florida in 1955. Her declare has been featured by anti-abortion teams and used to assist what abortion opponents name “born alive” payments in state legislatures, which purpose to guard infants who survive abortions, despite the fact that there are federal legal guidelines for that goal.

In interviews, Hopper has mentioned she had been delivered round 23 weeks of gestation after her mom went to a hospital in Wauchula, Florida, whereas experiencing bleeding. Hopper mentioned the physician induced labor, and he or she was born at 1 pound, 11 ounces, and that the physician informed workers to discard her “lifeless or alive.” She mentioned her grandmother discovered her the subsequent day on the hospital porch in a bedpan. Then, Hopper mentioned, a nurse volunteered to take her to a bigger hospital that was about 40 miles away.

{That a} child born at 23 weeks might survive in a single day with out medical consideration in 1955 is medically doubtful, specialists mentioned. From the Fifties by way of 1980, “new child loss of life was just about ensured” for infants born at or earlier than 24 weeks of gestation, the American School of Obstetrics and Gynecology says on its web site.

The Washington Put up additionally reported that contemporaneous newspaper accounts provide a distinct situation on the hospital, and mentioned the workers spent days protecting her alive earlier than arranging a police escort to hurry her to a different hospital.