Newsom claims DeSantis is 'desperate for attention' as he escalates war over ... trends now

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is continuing his efforts to make his Florida counterpart Ron DeSantis public enemy No. 1, claiming the Republican governor is 'small and pathetic.'

The highly critical words come after Gov. DeSantis transported more than a dozen migrants to Sacramento, claiming they wanted to get to California.

Newsom alleged that the move equated to 'state-sanctioned kidnapping.'

'We're not backing away from getting the facts and holding those accountable if they broke the laws in the state of California,' Newsom said during an interview with NBC's Today show.

Newsom suggested on Wednesday that following an investigation, DeSantis might not be able to step foot in California without being arrested. 

Meanwhile, DeSantis is in Arizona on Wednesday making a surprise visit to the border as he promises on his presidential platform to crack down on illegal immigration. 

During a roundtable at the southern border state, DeSantis announced that he will 'formalize' a partnership between states with 'like-minded' sheriffs and governors that want to 'fight back' against the migration crisis.

'What we've done in Florida has saved lives,' DeSantis said of border policies implemented in his state. 'If we're pulling our efforts, I think it's going to be something that will be really, really positive.'

Newsom told Today when asked about the harsh rhetoric against DeSantis that he is being 'very generous' when he calls DeSantis 'small and pathetic,'

'He's just weakness masquerading as strength,' the California governor added of the 2024 Republican presidential candidate. 'He's flailing, desperate for attention.'

DeSantis has faced backlash from immigration advocates for his move last year flying illegal migrants from Texas to the small, liberal New England island of Martha's Vineyard.

Newsom wants to make clear that he will not allow the same thing to happen in his state and will fight back.

'Let's just levelset here,' Newsom said. 'Here's a governor from the state of Florida that is using taxpayer money – and he had to go to another state to find people under false pretenses… lied to them, took them into another state by bus and took them on a chartered flight to Sacramento – lying to them that they had help on the other side – knocked on the door and they left these migrants right there on the steps. What kind of human being does that?'

'Human beings used as pawns for a guy's political advancement,' the California Democrat scoffed. 'That's pretty sad and pathetic.'

'I take this very seriously. As I said, we are not Martha's Vineyard. This is California – fourth or fifth largest economy on planet earth – we mean business. And so Ron DeSantis should know that.'

Gov. DeSantis' office confirmed they helped transport the migrants to Sacramento, claiming that the individuals said they wanted to get to California.

Newsom said California, which is a sanctuary state, is investigating 'state-sanctioned kidnapping' after 16 migrants who were dropped on the doorstep of a Sacramento church without 'advance warning'.

The young Venezuelan and Colombian men and women were dropped off Friday outside the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento without 'advance warning' and with only a backpack's worth of belongings each, said Eddie Carmona, campaign director at PICO California, a faith-based community organizing group that has been assisting the migrants.

The migrants had

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