Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a hit at California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom following their debate, saying conservatives won’t be gaslit into thinking liberal policies are working.

DeSantis, a GOP presidential hopeful, made the comments during a campaign rally Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa.

“And one of the things I think, it’s like what the left is trying to do to this country, what people in the media are helping them do, is they are just trying to lie to the public about almost everything that’s going on,” DeSantis said. “When that White House press secretary goes to that podium and tells you that the border is secure, they think you’re stupid. They’re willing to say anything.”

DeSantis then referred back to his debate between Newsom on Thursday, saying the California leader lied about his own policies.

DESANTIS LOSES ANOTHER SUPER PAC OFFICIAL, THE SECOND IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS TO LEAVE HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

“When [Newsom] was on the stage with me saying Biden is a great president and he’s clicking on all cylinders, that was a lie, we know that was a lie. When he says that California has lower taxes than Florida, I mean, not only is that a lie, even the people that like what’s going on in California acknowledge that one of the prices you pay of living there is you pay higher taxes than elsewhere,” DeSantis said. 

“We are not going to be gaslit by people who think we’re dumb. We’re not going to be lied to and just take it. We’re going to stand for the truth. And ultimately we need truth in this country,” he added.

DESANTIS SAYS NEWSOM IS ‘OBVIOUSLY PREPARING’ TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT AFTER ‘HANNITY’ DEBATE

Fox News’ Sean Hannity moderated the groundbreaking debate between Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Fox News Media)

During Thursday night’s debate, Newsom claimed that Florida taxes lower income workers more than California taxes millionaires.

“He has one of the most regressive tax rates in the United States, America’s number three, most regressive state in America. And what that means is simply this – Who does he tax? He taxes low income workers more than we tax millionaires and billionaires in the state of California,” Newsom said.

DeSantis responded, saying people don’t move from Florida to California to pay less in taxes.

Florida Gov. and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, left, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are seen on a screen from the press room during a debate held by Fox News, in Alpharetta, Ga., on Thursday. (Christian Monterossa/AFP via Getty Images)

“How many people leave Florida to go to California because they pay less taxes? I’ve not seen that. Are people going from Florida to New York because they pay less taxes? Of course not. They come to Florida because they pay lower taxes. We don’t even have an income tax. And yet California has a higher sales tax than we do,” DeSantis said.

USC professor John Strauss is allowed to return to campus as the university continues its investigation into his comments about Hamas during a student protest, according to his lawyer.

Students captured his Nov. 9 remarks on video and the episode went viral on the internet. More than 7,000 people signed an online petition calling for USC to terminate Strauss, while nearly 21,000 signed onto an opposing petition to reinstate the Jewish professor.

The incident and viral uproar that followed became a flash point for the clash between supporters of Israel and Palestinians in American academia. The backlash underscores the challenge universities face across the country as they try to referee altercations over the Israel-Hamas war on campus, raising questions about limitations on free speech and efforts to provide a safe environment.

In an updated statement, USC said, “all of the restrictions previously placed on Professor Strauss have now been lifted.”

Strauss, a professor of economics, came across students staging a walkout and protest calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The students held a memorial for Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war. He alleged that he heard slogans, such as “destroy Israel,” which students later disputed.

In an exchange with the protesters, Strauss said they were ignorant, before going a step further.

“Hamas are murderers,” the 72-year-old professor said to the students. “That’s all they are. Every one should be killed, and I hope they all are killed.”

The video, versions of which were manipulated online to remove the reference to Hamas and instead suggested that he hoped all Palestinians would be killed, prompted a swift response from the university.

Strauss said he was told that he was placed on paid administrative leave, barred from campus and no longer allowed to teach his undergraduate classes this semester. He was allowed to continue to teach graduate-level students through Zoom classes. Several days later, the university walked back some of the restrictions and he was also allowed to resume undergraduate classes online.

His attorney, Samantha Harris, said USC told Strauss this week that he would be allowed to return to campus on Saturday.

Classes at USC concluded for the semester Friday. Final exams begin next week and run until winter break, which starts Dec. 14.

“This is a step in the right direction,” Harris said in a statement. “But he is still under investigation and facing potential discipline for his speech, which is both a violation of USC’s own promises of free speech and an outrageous, viewpoint-discriminatory double standard in terms of how USC enforces its policies.”

Staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.

Another blow to Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign as another top official of his main political action committee (PAC) has left his campaign, the second to step down in the last two weeks, according to the Associated Press.

Former Nevada attorney general and Never Back Down Chairman Adam Laxalt submitted his resignation letter last Sunday, according to a spokesperson from the campaign, which was first reported by The New York Times.

According to the report, Laxalt turned in his resignation to the group’s board on Nov. 26, just four days after Jankowski’s exit, explaining that he needed to shift his focus. 

“Effective immediately, I am resigning from the Board of Directors of Never Back Down. After nearly 26 straight months of being in a full scale campaign, I need to return my time and attention to my family and law practice,” Laxalt wrote to the super PAC board. “I will continue to support Governor DeSantis in whatever ways I can, and I hope and pray that his campaign will be successful.”

TOP DESANTIS BACKER RESIGNS FROM SUPER PAC AMID INTERNAL TURMOIL: ‘UNTENABLE’ ENVIRONMENT

Last week, the super PAC’s chief executive, Chris Jankowski, was the first top official to resign from DeSantis’ campaign. 

Both departures come as DeSantis struggles to energize his presidential campaign, which officials say has fallen short of expectations.

According to reports, the departures mark a dark chapter for the super PAC, which launched earlier this year with more than $80 million in seed money.

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Adam Laxalt, right, with a supporter in 2022. (Ashley Soriano/Fox News/File)

Despite losing Laxalt and Jankowski, Never Back Down remains fueled by DeSantis supporters as another super PAC led by DeSantis loyalists has just launched, Fight Right, which is focused on leading the charge for television advertising for DeSantis. 

In a note sent to donors Monday, DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier outlined his vision for the roles the super PACs would play. 

DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL 99 IOWA COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP, STAY AHEAD OF HALEY?

Adam Laxalt (Laxalt for U.S. Senate)

“In the final push for the Iowa Caucus victory, this campaign will proudly fight alongside NBD’s impressive ground game, and Fight Right’s television team, to show the people of Iowa that this is a time for choosing, and Ron DeSantis is the candidate that can WIN!” Uthmeier wrote. “We are blessed to have both an NBD-army and Fight Right-air force out there fighting for us.”