DeSantis Dodges Question on Running for President or Governing Florida

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis failed to answer if he would serve a full second term during the governor debate against Democratic candidate Charlie Crist.

DeSantis was questioned by Crist during a segment of the Monday night debate covering the state's inflation rates, and asked to "look in the eyes of the people of the state of Florida" and say if he would serve a full four-year term as governor if reelected.

DeSantis, a Republican, has repeatedly teased a 2024 presidential run, with some polls indicating he may even outnumber former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical Republican primary.

"It's not a tough question," Crist added. "It's a fair question; he won't tell you."

DeSantis did not provide a clear answer to Crist's question, but said he did "want to make things very, very clear."

"The only worn-out old donkey I'm looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist," DeSantis said.

In a clip of the exchange, later posted to Twitter by The Recount, Crist is seen smirking toward the crowd as cheers erupt for DeSantis' answer.

Crist's question was in response to DeSantis repeatedly associating the congressman with President Joe Biden, referring to the president's economic policies as "Biden-Crist policies" and claiming that Crist has voted with Biden "100 percent" while in office.

The exchange received a mix of reactions on Twitter, including from Democratic Coalition Against Trump chair Jon Cooper, who wrote that DeSantis "froze" at Crist's question.

Cooper also said that DeSantis was a "coward" for evading the question.

Florida Democrats also posted a video of Crist's question, tweeting "Why run if you can't commit to finishing the job?"

"Floridians deserve better," the group added.

Republican Jimmy Patronis, chief financial officer of Florida, praised DeSantis' response, calling the governor's reaction the "best line of the night."

Rebecca Downs, web editor for Townhall, said that Crist had broken the rules of debate by asking the question, adding that "DeSantis was not required to answer."

Before giving the governor time to respond to Crist's question, the moderator for the debate said that the candidates had not previously "agreed upon" asking one another questions.

According to the polling group FiveThirtyEight, DeSantis currently leads Crist by 8.1 points with about two weeks before the midterm election on November 8.

Newsweek reached out to the campaigns of DeSantis and Crist for comment on the debate.

Update 10/24/22, 8:51 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.