Newsom donates $100K to DeSantis' opponent in Florida governor's race: 'I don't like bullies'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday he's donating $100,000 to Ron DeSantis' opponent in Florida's gubernatorial election in November.

"Time to make Ron DeSantis a one-term governor. I'm pledging $100k right now to @CharlieCrist. Who will join me in helping Charlie become the next Governor of Florida?" Newsom tweeted, with a link to donate to Rep. Charlie Crist, who won Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.

Newsom commented on the matter during a homeless outreach event in downtown Los Angles.

"I don't like bullies. I don't like people that demean people. I don't like people to talk down to people," Newsom said.

The Democratic governor also spoke out about DeSantis' comment about Dr. Anthony Fauci when the Florida governor said "Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac."

"I didn't like what DeSantis said about Fauci the other day," Newsom said. "He may disagree with him, but to call someone pejorative terms because they're short -- I mean, who the hell raised these guys? What kind of people are they?

"I know all of us had to sit there and suck it up and take (Donald) Trump's demonization, but not everybody has to act like him," Newsom said. "Literally, I remember growing up and folks would have their mouths washed out with soap if they talked like this. I've got four kids. I don't want these guys being models."

Newsom was in downtown L.A. Thursday and joined state and county workers to highlight a program offering housing, unemployment and other services to people experiencing homelessness.

The Mobile Homeless Connect pilot program provides comprehensive services you'd find at a disaster site in the state, like a wildfire. Now they are popping up at encampments like the one Newsom visited.

"I can't sit back as a state and wait, so this is done with other city and county partners, not just our six agencies," Newsom said. "If you're not going to do it, we're going to do it. I'm not suggesting that's why we're here today. We're in partnership. But, there are parts of the state where it feels like no one's home."

One roadblock to getting services is not having a California ID. So the DMV is part of the new service as well as veterans' services, EDD, the health department and housing.

"We often talk about the importance of outreach, but outreach so often is just an office door being opened between 9 and 5, but not on holidays -- in one part of town, you find out you went to the wrong office, you have to go to another part of town. We have to bring government onto the streets," Newsom said.

When Newsom visited Brian Dobias' tent in the morning, he convinced Dobias to visit the service tents and he's glad he did.

"Actually connecting people, so this is the first time I got to talk to EDD instead of trying to call them on the phone," said Dobias, who has been homeless for 12 years.

Thursday was the final day of the Mobile Homeless Connect pilot program. The state will now review the connections made at the five sites. Recommendations will be given on how it may be replicated in other areas of the state.