Last night’s debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), hosted by Sean Hannity on Fox News, was a lot of things.
A made-for-TV spectacle, a proxy for the larger Trump-Biden contest looming, a true opportunity for leaders of red and blue states to make their case to the nation about which parties’ policies are best.
But it will be remembered for one thing.
Ron DeSantis’ poop map.
The infamous map of reported citing of feces in San Francisco has gone viral several times over. It rounded up a decade worth of pins where poop was spotted in the city.
Given the length of time and the struggles the city’s had—to say nothing of its long-standing bohemian reputation—the resultant image, when zoomed out enough, shows a city swathed in shit.
In 2019, Forbes plugged the image in a report, helping it go mega viral. It is frequently trotted out as an example of San Francisco’s decline and the failed policies of liberal mayors of major cities writ large.
And last night, DeSantis brought a printout of it to the debate, waving it in Newsom’s face.
“This is an app where they plot the human feces on the streets of San Francisco. The whole thing is covered … human feces is now a fact of life … except when a Communisty dictator comes to town.
DeSantis was referencing claims—which Newsom admitted—that San Francisco was cleaned up in advance of a visit from the Chinese prime minister.
Online, DeSantis’ biggest stans were thrilled by his brazen waving of the poop map in front of Newsom.
“Gavin’s death blow. He couldn’t smirk his way out of that one with all the Chiclet teeth in the world,” wrote James Woods.
“Incredible,” said one.
“Finishing Move,” added another.
“Someday, I will tell my grandchildren about how Gavin Newsom’s presidential aspirations were ended by a poopmap,” wrote Liberty Belle.
Then, there was this.
Newsom muttered that’s “such nonsense,” but unfortunately was not given a chance to fully respond as Hannity moved on to the Israel-Palestine war.
As for what else happened in the debate? No one knows or cares.
