Republican Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman had a heated debate Wednesday on the Capitol steps regarding the 2024 election, a video of the moment shows.
The two argued about who would win the 2024 presidential election, with Donalds throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, while Bowman argued President Joe Biden will win reelection.
The two politicians were speaking to reporters before Donalds turned and said to Bowman, “To the gentleman from New York, man, listen, it’s cool to have two people in my state that could be president. I don’t know about New York.”
“Who in your state could be president? Who?” Bowman asked. “DeSantis? DeSantis doesn’t have a shot! He’s a white nationalist.”
“He’s a nationalist, he’s a white supremacist. He’s anti-gay, he’s anti-woman, he’s anti-Black. There’s no way he can be president,” Bowman said. (RELATED: Joy Reid Blows Fuse, Blurts ‘That’s Not True’ 13 Times Straight As Rep. Donalds Breaks Down Social Security Solvency)
Watch me destroy @RepDonaldsPress in a debate on the Capitol steps! pic.twitter.com/7HMXgAJWoR
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) March 2, 2023
Bowman also suggested Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could beat Republicans in 2024.
“If she wanted to jump in, she would kill both of them. Secondly, Biden will kill both of them. Biden passed three bipartisan pieces of legislation,” Bowman said.
Donalds argued that saying Biden could beat Trump or DeSantis was like “saying Josh Allen is better than Patrick Mahomes.”
“Biden will wipe the floor with DeSantis,” Bowman added.
“In what world?” Donalds asked. “In what world? Bizarro land?”
“High inflation, overrun southern border, fentanyl on everybody’s streets. Look, I could do the same thing,” he continued.
Bowman and Donalds ended up laughing about the debate when another colleague came over and hugged the two lawmakers.