After Special Olympics Threat, Gov. Newsom Targeted FL, DeSantis In Ad

CALIFORNIA — Nearly two weeks after airing a July 4 ad attacking Florida’s Republican leaders, California Gov. Gavin Newsom explained why he purchased 30 seconds of airtime on Fox News on the holiday.

The Democratic governor told The Sacramento Bee that he decided to air the anti-GOP ad in the Sunshine State after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration threatened to fine the Special Olympics over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate when the competition came to Orlando last month.

Florida Department of Health officials told leaders with the Special Olympics that the state would fine the organization $27.5 million if it didn’t drop the vaccine mandate for athletes and attendees of the event, which ran June 5-12, according to PBS. Ultimately, the organization removed the vaccine requirement and apologized to athletes who missed the competition because of it.

• Related Story: 'Freedom Is Under Attack In Your State': CA Governor Tells Floridians

Gov. Ron DeSantis, said, “In Florida, we want all of them to be able to compete. We do not think it’s fair or just to be marginalizing some of these athletes based on a decision that has no bearing on their ability to compete with honor or integrity.”

Newsom told The Bee, “He (DeSantis) did something that tipped me very directly, and that was going after the Special Olympics. I had an emotional response to that. That led to the consideration of doing something a little bit more expressive and that was the determination on the ad.”

In his Fourth of July ad, Newsom warned Floridians, “Freedom is under attack in your state.”

“Republican leaders, they're banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors,” he said. (Watch the full ad below.)

The West Coast governor added, "I urge all of you living in Florida to join the fight or join us in California where we still believe in freedom — freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom from hate and the freedom to love. Don't let them take your freedom."

Newsom has previously taken aim at Florida, urging Disney in March to bring jobs based in Florida to California in response to the Sunshine State's passage of the Parental Rights in Education bill, according to The Hill. Referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" bill by its critics, it limits how gender identity and sexual orientation is discussed in public school classrooms.

The two governors have also traded barbs on Twitter and in other media outlets over the past year. While on “The View” in December, Newsom said that there were “53 (percent) more deaths per capita in the state of Florida,” SFist reported. Meanwhile, DeSantis has tweeted a number of insults aimed at California, including calling San Francisco a “dumpster fire” in April.

Watch Newsom's ad targeting Florida's Republican leaders via NBC Bay area below: